Road to Discovery
by AngelicFlame16
Summary: Raven, the withdrawn and dark member of the Teen Titans has fallen in a deep, passionate love. However, this certain masked boy's heart is held by the lovely Tameranean princess. Having enough of heartbreak, Raven attempts to discover herself. And through a series of events, she'll find what she has always been looking for.
1. Things Hoped For

Chapter 1: Things Hoped For

Raven's P.O.V

Thin rays of sunlight illuminated the dark room in golden shine. A gentle, warm breeze blew into the room, the sheer purple curtains flowing silently along. Raven slowly opened her eyes to the calming sight. Desiring to relish in the peaceful moment, Raven snuggled deeper into the security of her deep blue silk sheets. However, the abrupt shouts of her fellow teammates pulled her out of the heavenly moment.

"Oh joy, Thing 1 and Thing 2 are back at it," Raven thought.

She begrudgingly slipped out of bed onto the cream carpet and headed to her bathroom. The usual morning routine of brushing teeth and a shower commenced. Afterwards, Raven pulled on her normal uniform and famous cloak; the hood staying down to allow her indigo locks to cascade down her back. Leaving the sanctuary of her room, Raven began her walk to the kitchen. As she traveled down the hall, the ongoing shouts became clear.

"Grass stain, do I look like I'm about to eat tofu crap!?"

"It's not crap it's a healthier way to get protein than meat. Besides, DUDE I'VE BEEN MOST OF THOSE ANIMALS!"

"Oh okay, then you're more than qualified to pass this message on to your furry friends. RUN FASTER OR BE EATEN!

Raven entered the kitchen just in time to see the hysteria taking place. Cyborg stared down at the changeling in his 'Kiss the Cook' apron. Beast Boy returned the intensity of the stare while stubbornly holding his plate of tofu.

"So is this battle going to continue until I murder one of you or what?" Raven sarcastically questioned.

"Ah, Raven's here, now we can get a reasonable opinion on which is better," Beast Boy reasoned. Before Raven had a chance to react, a spoon of the white glop was shoved down her throat. Raven slightly gagged at the disgusting taste as she swallowed. Beast Boy looked at her with his forest green eyes shining brightly, knowing she loved it. Those same eyes were filled with terror when a slightly grey hand seized his collar.

"If you ever shove that crap down my throat again I will remove essential body parts" Raven hissed, scowling at him. Beast Boy transformed into a puppy and let out a soft whimper.

"Ha, the boy doesn't even have the stones to handle a girl," Cyborg laughed. Beast Boy instantly morphed back into human form.

"That's not a girl, that's Raven," he huffed. The green boy had only just realized his mistake when a black shield charged into him, sending him into the wall.

"You never cease to amaze me, dark girl," Cyborg shook his head. "Now sit down and enjoy the breakfast I made for ya."Raven happily obeyed, awaiting the food she knew was bound to be good. A heavenly aroma filled her nose as the plate of food was placed on the granite table in front of her. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes were neatly arranged on the plate, not to mention the steaming cup of herbal tea that was now beside it. As she devoured into the food, the delectable flavor danced in her mouth. Her thoughts drifted to how this tradition started.

Ever since the defeat of her father Trigon, Raven vowed to enjoy every moment she possibly could with her friends, her family. Free from the emotionless state she was in, Raven could fully express her appreciation to the people that loved her no matter what. She could spend time with her friends and actually share a true connection. So Cyborg's regular cooking for her was one of those times she could let him know that he was a good big brother to her.

With the plate of food no longer in existence, Raven drank her tea, savoring every sip before the warm liquid flowed down her throat. She began to head back to her room, but the devastating spectacle halted her dead in her tracks.

Robin and Starfire were kissing right beside her door. Robin's gloved hand grasped Starfire's rose colored hair. Her hands were wrapped tightly around his neck as if she thought she would lose him. They both looked like they were in a state of ecstasy. Raven let out a light cough and they broke apart with a sheepish look and bright red faces.

"I'm so sorry for doing the making of out outside your chambers, Friend Raven,"Starfire apologized.

"Yeah, Rae, didn't mean for you to see that," Robin muttered utterly embarrassed.

"It's fine, just next time don't do that near my room," Raven advised. The couple uttered more apologies and headed to the main room. Raven fled into her room, the door slamming shut. If only it was fine.

Raven had always had a tiny crush on her leader, her best friend. She admired the way he loved his friends. The way he maintained hope in the darkest of times. The way he always fought for good to conquer evil. That crush deepened when their bond was created. She no longer liked Robin as just Robin but as Richard John Grayson, too. But it was when he saved her from the depths of hell to defeat Trigon and restore order Raven realized the love she had for him. Raven loved him to her last breath. If only he loved her.

Raven knew Robin's heart was held by Starfire. When his barriers to his mind slipped, Raven got a glimpse of the eternal bliss he felt with the beautiful princess. A piece of her heart broke off whenever he gazed at Starfire with a look of longing. It hurt even more to know that he needed her everlasting sunshine, not Raven's gloom that still existed.

"You'll never know just how much of me belongs to you" Raven reflected. Tears burned in her violet eyes, threatening to spill into a waterfall. She phased onto the rooftop, to find her peace of mind. She gazed out onto the ocean gently swaying back and forth to the music of the wind.

"Maybe this bird needs to learn how to fly on her own," she whispered.

Robin's P.O.V

Robin awoke to the gentle snoring of his beloved Tameranean princess. He smiled at how her angelic face looked in the moonlight, despite the demonic sound coming from her. No, they had not escalated their relationship in THAT way but he enjoyed the company of her sleeping in his bed. Besides he wouldn't be concealing his eyes with a mask when they did - if they did. Careful not to wake his sleeping beauty he made his way out of his room and down the hallway.

Robin arrived at the kitchen, intent on satisfying his midnight craving of Oreos. He rummaged the wooden cabinets searching for his fix and groaned with delight when he found them. He started partaking in the heavenly taste of chocolate and crème. No one knew of his secret love except for his best friend, Raven.

Raven had caught him indulging in his love when the team first started. Robin chuckled, remembering the look of surprise on her face. Robin let out a sigh as he thought of his jaded friend. Ever since Trigon was annihilated she seemed more distant from him. She had grown closer to rest of the team yet farther from him. In that moment, Robin had to know why. He slammed down the cookies and headed to her room.

He softly knocked on the steel door, only to be meant with a stony silence.

"Raven?" he whispered. After not hearing a response Robin was consumed with worry and punched in the overriding code to enter. The door slid open to reveal the dark purple room.

"Rae?" he questioned again. He glanced around only to see an empty room.

"Where could she be at one in the morning?" Robin wondered.


	2. Path to Freedom

Chapter 2: Path to Freedom

Raven's P.O.V

Bright neon lights flashed throughout the entire dark building. Music boomed through the huge speakers, while hundreds of bodies moved senselessly to the beat. The dance floor lit up with vivid flares of color, and a mix of excitement and alcohol hung in the thick air. Raven took all this in while standing in the shadowy corner of one of the biggest nightclubs in Jump City, Royals.

"Oh, Azar, why am I here?" she murmured. Raven, however, already knew the answer to this question. Royals had always sparked an interest in Raven. Whenever on a nightly patrol with the team, the club's liveliness managed to captivate her attention, if even for the slightest of seconds. Everyone entering always had a smile upon their face and their auras buzzed with energy. That night curiosity finally drove Raven to Royals, along with the glimmer of hope to stop thinking about Robin. But loneliness throbbed in her heart as she realized everyone there had a friend to dance with.

"_I should have never came here_," Raven thought. Walking towards the exit, she squeezed through the maze of people. As she was closing in on the door to freedom, someone slammed into her. Caught off guard, Raven stumbled backwards barely maintaining her balance. She looked up to see a girl hardly able to stand on her own two feet glaring at her.

"Watch it, you freak," the girl sputtered. Raven almost recoiled at the smell of the alcohol on her breath.

"Technically you bumped into me," Raven pointed out.

"I didn't ask you to reply, freak," she hissed.

"I would refrain from calling me a freak if I were you," Raven warned, a tiny black ball of energy sparking in her hand. The girl threw out a fist towards Raven's face. Just as Raven was about to block the fist, a hand clamped down on the drunken girl's wrist. Raven turned to see a short, dark skinned girl staring daggers at Raven's challenger.

"Is there a problem here?" the girl questioned.

"Get your hand off me," the drunk girl slightly tugged at the unrelenting hand.

"Sure thing sweetheart," Raven's new found ally yanked down on the girl's arm causing her to careen forward onto the floor.

"Maybe if you weren't so drunk off you're a** you could keep your balance," the girl laughed. Raven was surprised the girl went out of her way to lend a hand.

"Thank you," Raven said. She turned to continue her way out.

"Don't tell me you're leaving because of this not-so-hot mess," the girl called. Before Raven could reply, the girl clutched her hand and led her to the bar. Raven and the brazen girl sat down on the comfy, soft leather chairs and swiveled towards each other. Raven couldn't believe how kind this girl was.

"I'm Aria," she introduced herself.

"Couldn't you have gotten kicked out for pulling her like that?" Raven asked.

"I highly doubt that, not when my brother is the DJ," Aria replied, gesturing towards where the turntable was located. Raven's eyes widened slightly when her eyes followed to where Aria's gesture had gone. The young boy she saw had gorgeous, fulvous brown eyes almost obscured by his shaggy blond hair. But it was the fact he was white and Aria clearly wasn't is that threw Raven off.

"It's a long story," Aria explained noticing her surprise.

"Oh, I'm Rae by the way," Raven said, careful not to disclose her true identity.

"It's nice to meet you, Rae," Aria smiled. Raven relaxed as she began to feel comfortable around the cheery girl.

"So what brings you here to Royals?" Aria queried.

"Interest, I guess," Raven replied.

"Interest?" Aria repeated, raising her eyebrows.

"Well, I've never really done this type of thing before. I guess I just wanted to feel the excitement," Raven explained.

"Well then, Rae, I guess you came to the right place and met the right girl," Aria laughed.

"Is my sister giving you any trouble?" a new voice piped up. Raven glanced to the side and was faced with the DJ himself and his great looks.

"And this Rae, is my crappy brother Hale himself," teased Aria.

"Well Aria's amazing brother Hale says it's nice to meet you," Hale said, smiling.

"H-hi," Raven replied tentatively.

"Hale!" a voice boomed.

"That is my cue to leave. Sorry for the short introduction, Rae," he grinned. Raven managed to give him a short nod back in silent reply as she watched him leave, a little surprised and dazed by the immediate feeling she had towards him. Whether it be the auras from everyone else in the room affecting her or her own emotions coming out in full force at least, she wouldn't get the chance to decide as a new song blasted through the speakers.

"Ooh, I love this song!" squealed Aria. She dragged Raven onto the dance floor before she could protest. Raven stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Everyone around her was dancing in sync with the music. She closed her eyes and took a breath, and slowly the pounding music began to consume her and she let herself go. The vibrations felt like they were throbbing inside her as the beat pulsed. Raven became one of those dancing senseless people. Just for a few minutes, she felt invincible. When the song ended all Raven could do was smile.

"Come on, I need to go to the bathroom to fix my hair," Aria spoke. Raven followed her into the bathroom, a small flash of pain pulsated in her head from the bright lights. They stopped in front of the huge mirror once inside and it was then she noticed Aria's hair. Seal brown hair with burgundy highlights fell in waves down Aria's back. Raven observed as her new friend "fixed" her hair. Aria used her slender fingers to scrunch up her mane before vigorously flipping her head side-to-side.

"Aren't you just messing up your hair?" Raven inquired.

"No I'm just adding extra oomph," she rationalized. Raven subconsciously touched her now long hair which was in a high ponytail.

"Rae, I have a problem with you," Aria went on. "You have the perfect hourglass shape, which frankly most women would kill to have, yet you're not doing anything with it by wearing those ragtag clothes." Raven glanced down at her civilian clothes. She had on a loose fitting black t-shirt and dark blue baggy jeans.

"I really don't have much besides this," Raven admitted. Aria's eyes widened in shock and her mouth dropped open.

"Oh dear lord, that should be a crime," Aria gasped. "That's it, we're taking you shopping tomorrow."

"Umm, I don't..."Raven began.

"No ifs, buts, maybes, or whatever about it," Aria interrupted. We are getting you a decent wardrobe. Okay?

"Okay," Raven agreed. She glanced down at the watch on her wrist.

"Crap it's two in the morning, I need to get home," Raven thought.

"Oh, it's late, I should be going," Raven announced. "I'll meet you at the Greenbrier mall tomorrow at three outside the food court."

"Alright, if you're not there I will hunt you down," Aria threatened. Raven, for the first time in her 21 years, actually looked forward to shopping.


	3. Behind This Smile

Chapter 3: Behind This Smile

Raven's P.O.V

The teakettle let out an ear splitting whistle, alerting Raven her tea was done. She quickly took it off the stovetop and poured the steaming brew in her favorite mug. Raven smiled slightly as the memory of how she got the mug flashed in her mind.

_"Hey Raven, I know how you love your herbal tea, so I got you a mug," Robin said, flashing her a glimpse of his amazing smile._

_ "Thanks, I-I really appreciate it," Raven responded, taking the mug into her hand. As she examined the mug she noticed something. The mug was a deep blue color adorned with the name 'Raven' in purple lettering. It was custom-made, Robin had gotten her a custom-made mug! Robin may have not noticed because of her thick hood, but Raven had a genuine smile on her face._

Raven's heart glowed as she recalled the memory. The fact Robin took her into that much consideration really touched her.

"Stop it, Raven," she scolded herself, "You shouldn't be thinking of the walking traffic light, the unavailable walking traffic light. Besides you have better things to think of." Anxiety set in as Raven thought of the prior engagement she had gotten herself into. Forgetting the relaxing mug of tea, she continued to fret.

"You have no idea who this girl is," she continued to herself. "She could be a new enemy or worse. Besides, you hate..."

A sudden presence interrupted her troublesome thoughts. The masked boy behind most of her problems strolled into the kitchen. Clothed in his civilian clothes, Robin wore a red t-shirt and a pair of black jeans, the infamous mask covering the mystery that was his eyes.

"Hey Raven," he greeted leaning on the countertop next to her.

"Hi, Robin," she replied, struggling to meet his hidden gaze.

"Going somewhere? You're actually out of uniform for a change," he sounded surprised. Raven wore a dark blue t-shirt adorned with the words 'Hate me, love me, do you think I really care?' in white. A pair of light blue jeans accompanied the shirt.

"Yeah, I was planning on going to this poetry reading this afternoon," Raven lied, unsure of how her leader would react to her potential new friend.

"I could come with, Cy and Beast Boy went to this videogame convention and Star is packing for a trip to Tamaran. So I'm free for the day," Robin explained. Raven felt like she had been punched in the stomach. To be Robin's last option was the worst feeling in the world.

"No it's fine, you should spend time with Starfire, y'know, before she leaves," she choked out every word.

"You sure, 'cause Rae I've been feeling like you've been avoiding me. Have I hurt you in anyway?" Robin asked.

"Don't go all emotional on me now especially when I'm just getting used to mine," Raven joked. "Everything is fine, our friendship is fine."

"Are you sure?" Robin questioned, his concern fading.

"Yes, now go help your girlfriend pack before you annoy me," Raven shooed him away.

"Alright, I'll leave you to your tea," Robin said, walking out of the kitchen. Raven stared with a heavy heart as he left, the burden of her feelings reemerging with every step he took away from her and towards the alien princess. She wished just for a day her sorrows wouldn't hold her down, but those same sorrows had been set free when hanging out with Aria. Raven thought of the date she had with the carefree girl.

"You never know unless you try," Raven suddenly thought.

Raven stood outside the entrance of the massive mall, nerves being eaten alive.

"Et dicendum est quod in somnis autem ut dixi non visum est ut videtur," Raven chanted, concealing her chakra from view. Opening the glass door to the shopping wonderland she thought, 'Here goes nothing.'

Crowds of people came from every which way. Hundreds of stores lined the first and second level. Bright lights filled the entire shopping center. Raven suddenly felt very small compared to the busyness of the place. She quickly made her way to the escalator, fighting the urge to take flight. She arrived at the food court searching for that familiar hairstyle.

"Rae!" a voice yelled. Raven turned the see who the voice belonged to.

"Hi, Aria," Raven spoke.

"Hey, you would not believe how long it took to find a decent outfit," Aria puffed. The petite girl was wearing a black, laced shirt with a purple tank top underneath. A black pair of leggings covered her slim legs. A wild tangle of hair was swept to one side of her head.

"That looks fine to me," Raven assured her.

"Thanks," she replied. "So I was thinking we could go to Forever 21 first. Sound good?"

"Yeah," the dark girl agreed. Aria led the way to the popular store, home to many teenage girls. As soon as Raven entered she immediately thought, 'This reminds me of Starfire's room.'

Dozens of teenage girls flocked around the many racks of clothes. Music played in the background of the mayhem. A heavy fragrance filled the entire store.

"So, where should we start?" Aria beamed, clapping her hands together.

"Um..." Raven was unsure how to respond.

"You don't do this much do you?" Aria asked. Raven shook her head in response.

"Tell you what, I'll go pick out some clothes and you try them on to decide whether or not you like them," Aria planned.

"Okay, but nothing too crazy or pink," Raven consented. Aria let out a light laugh and fled to arrange Raven's wardrobe. Glancing around, curiosity and doubt began to eat away at the dark bird. She wasn't sure there was anything here to match who she was. Everything the store represented didn't fit Raven's persona.

'I'm not a naïve little teenage girl, I'm not Starfire,' Raven thought. 'But sometimes I wish I was. Sometimes I wish...'

"Okay, I'm back," Aria announced, interrupting her deliberations. Raven looked up to see a bundle of clothes hanging over her thin arm. Leading her to the dressing room Aria explained, "I arranged the clothes into outfits. I made sure none of them are pink or too _crazy. _But they're not what you're probably used to. Oh, and they do match your hair dye, which is really good by the way, can't even see the roots."

Raven slowly nodded her head taking all this in.

"Alright, in you go," Aria basically pushed her into the dressing room. She blindly put on the clothes; anxious to see how it would look. Raven cautiously exited the dressing room much to Aria's delight. She let out a squeal and steered Raven to the large mirror saying "I present to you, Raven 2.0.

Raven stared at her reflection in the mirror. She wore a pair of black skinny jeans, comfortable enough to move in. The fabric was shredded in various places with a deep blue material underneath. A blue belt adorned with a silver buckle wrapped itself around her waist. A dark blue, laced long sleeved shirt accompanied the jeans. A black tank top beneath the half top completed the outfit. The ensemble accentuated the curves Raven never knew she had.

"Oh..." she whispered. The girl gazing back at her was alien to Raven. This girl was out of uniform. This girl had a woman's body. This girl looked attractive. This girl was Raven and Raven kind of liked this girl.

"Well, judging by the priceless look on your face, you love the outfit," Aria smirked. Raven gave a slight nod.

"Then shall we continue?" Aria inquired.

"We shall," Raven voiced, heading back to the fitting room.

"That dress totally matches your pretty green eyes," Aria commented. Raven had used a simple spell to change the color of her eyes.

"Thanks, but you're the one who picked it out," Raven said. After a lengthy, fun day of shopping, the duo decided to call it quits, and hang at the food court.

"Really, thanks, I don't usually have fun like this, so, this is very nice," Raven revealed. She took a bite of the pizza they had ordered. The mouthwatering aroma filled her with the desire to eat more. The divine Italian taste camped in her mouth.

"Next time it will be more fun if I could buy something," Aria pouted, noticing Raven's raised eyebrows she continued. "I'm sort of in between jobs so I'm kind of living off of Hale."

"Oh...about your brother...,"Raven trailed off.

"Yeah about that, I guess it's sob story time," Aria took a deep breath. "When I was thirteen, there was this fire at my house, you're looking at the sole survivor. Huh, lucky me, right? I lost my parents and my older sister, Anna."

"I'm sorry," Raven sympathized, unconsciously resting her hand on top of Aria's.

"It's okay, don't be sorry, you didn't cause the fire," Aria gave a wry smile. "Well, I didn't get away unscathed, my legs were badly burned, so I don't have to worry about shorts anymore," Aria let out a small chuckle before continuing.

"After that I was in the hospital for a while before going to a foster home where things got really bad. It finally hit me that my family was really gone. I realized I would never see them again," she quickly wiped a stray tear, "God, I'm such a girl. Well anyways, one day when I came home there was this new kid there. The first thing I noticed was his smile, it had a way of lighting up the whole room."

"Hale," Raven spoke softly.

"Yeah, Hale. The first words he said to me were 'Are you gonna be my new sister?' Since that day he has always tried to make me happy. Even though he was only nine at the time, I think he knew how messed up I was. Hale's always been like that, y'know, trying to bring a smile to someone's face," Aria paused. "He's the reason I was able to make it through. So I made it up to myself to make sure he would never have to face the horrors of this world. I wanted to make sure he always remained hopeful. When I turned fifteen I got my first job, all the money I made went to him or I saved it. I spent as much as I could on him, kind of spoiled him, I guess. Once I turned eighteen, I was at the legal age I could adopt. With the money I saved, I bought a tiny two bedroom apartment and started the whole legal process to adopt Hale. It took a year with a few tiny bumps in the road, but I got him. I think his social worker could tell how close we were and since he was fourteen, I didn't need to care for him as much anymore. So I guess in a way, we got our happily ever after."

"Wow, I had no idea," Raven murmured delicately.

"How could you? You've only known me for two days," Aria slightly teased.

"Yeah, but you're so cheerful, I never would have guessed," Raven admitted.

"The past is in the past, I can't let it hold me down. Hale taught me that," Aria resumed. "The prettiest smiles hide the deepest secrets. The prettiest eyes have cried the most tears. The kindest hearts have felt the most pain."

"That's beautiful, where did you hear it from?" Raven asked.

"A book I read a long time ago, it's something I always remember," Aria said. "Now that you know my story, it's only fair you tell me yours.

"There's not much to tell," Raven lied. "My father is out of the picture which I'm happy about. And my mother and I never had the best relationship. Right now I'm just trying to figure out what makes me happy."

"That sucks about the parents. It's good you're trying to find yourself," Aria's chocolate brown eyes wandered to behind Raven. "Man, I wish I could get one." Raven turned her head to see the tattoo parlor.

"A tattoo?" an incredulous Raven asked.

"Yeah, I always thought they were cool," she answered.

"You know what, I'll treat you to one," Raven offered.

"Really?" now it was Aria's turn to be skeptical. Raven simply nodded her head with a tiny smile. Her friend shrieked, then with a devilish grin asked, "Why don't you get one with me?"

"No," Raven stated automatically.

"Why not?" Aria whined. "They're really cool,"

"Still not convinced," Raven replied.

"Oh, come on, a tattoo is more than body art. It's a way to mark an important quality of ourselves," Aria finished.

"Fine if I get one will you stop whining," Raven muttered. Aria vigorously nodded.

"Besides, if I don't like it I can remove it myself," Raven thought.

"So I'm probably going to get that quote," Aria carried on. "How bout you?"

"You'll just have to wait and see," Raven said with a touch of mystery. She knew exactly what she was going to get.


	4. It Begins With Curiosity

**For some reason crap reason I have to state I don't own Teen Titans' characters. I would think this was obvious because Robstar wouldn't have existed if I did. Whatever, I'll save my ranting for another time. But I do own Aria and Hale, take that D.C. comics and Cartoon Network (although they'll probably don't give a crap). Sorry to my viewers for taking so long to upload. I started watching One Tree Hill, I can't even remember when I last left my couch. Then Teen Wolf comes in to further complicate things. My emotional stability relies heavily on fictional characters. Well enough with my sad life, to all my viewers, thanks for taking the time to read my story. But I will love you more if you review. Oh, one more thing, dear The Darkness Inside Me, Warriors is also an unhealthy obsession of mine. Deuces, Naley is calling me. (Naley is a pairing on One Tree Hill, yes my life is sad).**

Chapter 4: It Begins With Curiosity

Robin's P.O.V

Heavy metal raged through the speakers of the radio. Fists mercilessly pounded the punching bag in a rhythmic sequence. An occasional roundhouse kick rocked the entire bag as it dangled helplessly by the steel chain. The intense workout could only be done by the boy wonder himself. Robin's daily routine no longer had drastic effects on his body, and with that in mind he continued his session punch after punch. Sweat dribbled into his eyes, but he barely noticed, intent on finishing. Without Starfire's gentle insistence for him to take it easy, the leader was able to train to his full extent.

_"Star, are you sure you have to leave?" Robin almost begged._

_ "Yes, Robin, I must visit my dear Galfore. He has been missing me terribly and the feeling is rather mutual," Starfire reasoned, determinedly carrying her pink luggage to the T-Ship._

_ "Well, you can't blame me for not wanting my girlfriend to leave the planet by herself," Robin grumbled._

_ "Do not have troublesome thoughts, my dear Robin," his girlfriend took his face in her hand. "I will always follow my heart which leads me to you. If there is any difficulty I will return in the heart beat." The masked boy could have melted right then and there while staring into her sparkling harlequin green eyes. Instead he took her orange hand pressing it to his lips murmuring "Goodbye, my angel,"_

_ "Remember there is no such thing as a goodbye between us," Starfire smiled. As she turned to walk up the ramp leading to the famous Titan transportation a chorus of farewells came from the front doorway._

_ "Goodbye Friends Cyborg and Beast Boy," Starfire paused. "Oh and Robin, please tell Friend Raven that I will also miss her._

_ "Sure, Star," Robin said. With that Starfire continued into the ship, the steel door crashing shut behind her. The love struck boy stared long after the ship had become just a distant memory in the sky with only one thought. Where could Raven be?_

The memory of earlier that day burned itself into Robin's brain as he delivered one last blow to the defeated bag. Oh, the predicament he was in. His girlfriend was literally out of this world and his best girl friend was missing in action with no explanation. Robin had no idea what Raven could be up to. For the past week, he noticed how she had distanced herself from not just him, but the whole team. It was a subtle change, but it was one that would not go unnoticed by one of the world's greatest detectives.

"I know something is bothering her despite whatever she says, I just have to figure out what. And then..." Robin's contemplations were interrupted by a loud, annoyingly familiar voice.

"What up home skillet biscuit," Beast Boy greeted with sly grin.

"Please stop right there," Robin said annoyed. However, Beast Boy was not deterred by the negativity in the air. In fact, he continued saying, "So I was thinking..."

"That's never a good sign," his leader voiced, enjoying his teasing a little bit. Beast Boy flared his nostrils and huffed a little.

"I was thinking me, you, and tin man could go out and have ourselves a little guy's night. You know, met a few chicks, break a few hearts, the usual," Beast Boy prompted.

"I know your usual and I'm pretty sure that's not it," Robin laughed. "And in answer to your little adventure, no. We have a city to watch over and protect.

"Oh, come on. Let the cops get off their lazy butts and do something for once in their career," Beast Boy pleaded. "Besides what better way of watching over the city than being in the city," Seeing Robin's stern face, Beast Boy knew he had to play the ultimate card.

"I will continue to annoy you until you say yes," Beast Boy triumphed seeing the alarm pass through the other boy's face.

"Fine we can go, but let me tell Raven first," Robin consented heading to the dark empath's room.

As Robin walked to Raven's room, he came up with a full proof plan to get out of the guy's night. He concluded that he should make an ultimatum. Only if Raven came along would the team go out to the city. Knowing Raven she would probably say no along with a shudder.

"Perfect," Robin gave himself a mental pat on the back. Arriving at the steel door marked Raven, he knocked with confidence his plot would work.

"Raven," he called, but not receiving an answer. "Raven?" A sense of déjà vu flickered through Robin as he continued knocking to no avail. Punching in the overriding code once again he entered the room. The silvery moonlight shone inside illuminating the empty room. He speedily exited her room and headed to his own bedroom, thoughts consumed by the mystery that was Raven. Robin collapsed onto to his red comforter his hand rubbing his head, where a vein was continuously throbbing.

_"Where could she be? What could she be doing? It's not like her to just take off. I, mean, she's not the type to be going out all the time,"_ thoughts swarmed through his mind at lightning speed. Robin felt he needed to be informed about Raven's latest activities not just as a leader but as her supposed best friend. Suddenly, the realization guy's night was still a go sunk in, replacing his disconcerting contemplations. Robin jumped up to go get ready.

Robin stood gazing in the mirror at his appearance with a slight smirk. A simple white v-neck covered his torso. His amazing physique was apparent despite the shirt. The front of the shirt was loosely tucked in the pair of black pants he wore. A nice pair of Nikes finished the outfit. Robin begrudgingly slid off his mask, exchanging a pair of dark aviator sunglasses with them. Seeing his arsenic hair gelled to perfection he headed to the main room.

"What up, my man? Ready to get the party started," Beast Boy said.

"No," was Robin's blunt reply.

"Y'know, Rob, it wouldn't hurt to take a night off," Cyborg reasoned.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Anyways it seems Raven has taken that advice to heart," Robin grumbled.

"What do you mean?" Cyborg asked.

"Raven isn't in her room and this isn't the first time. And I don't think she needs to meditate so much anymore, so that counts out the roof," Robin explained.

"I have an idea what dark girl monthly could be doing," Beast Boy spoke up much to everybody's dismay. "She's probably hanging in some stank, old creepy basement listening to depressing poems about why the world sucks."

"Minus the regular Beast Boy dramatics, he could be right. She does like her poetry readings. Besides man, after all the stuff that went down with demon daddy, she needs a fun break," the mechanical man spoke directly to Robin. The boy simply nodded his head.

"Or," the green boy chimed in. "She could be getting her creep on with a Marilyn Manson wannabe." Beast Boy let out a startled yelp when a heavy mechanical hand thumped him in the back of the head.

"And you wonder why you're considered the stupid one of the team," Cyborg said.

"I thought that was Starfire," Beast Boy had just stated when a hand slapped him again in the back of his head, this time a human one.

"There's a difference between being kind and being an idiot. Remember that," Robin growled. Beast Boy had just opened his mouth to protest when Cyborg interrupted him.

"Before you say anymore stupid bull c'mere so I can fix this hologram on you," Cyborg ordered. Right before Robin's eyes Beast Boy transformed into a normal looking boy followed by Cyborg. Beast Boy now had shaggy blond hair along with deep green eyes. Cyborg was no longer a mechanical hybrid, but his huge frame still towered over the two boys.

"We're good to go?" Robin asked.

"Let's kick it," Cyborg cheered.

"Where to?" Robin finally came around to the question.

"Royals, of course," Beast Boy answered.

"Cyborg, you know what to do," Robin requested.

"How could I forget?" Cyborg reached for the can of ax on the dining room table as they headed out. He sprayed a light mist in front of them as they walked out the door. The trio was ready for the night of thrills.


	5. Standing Out

**Aloha! Love using foreign hello's. Wait...is aloha considered foreign since Hawaii is a part of the U.S.? Nevermind I'm going to get to the point. I highly suggest listening to the song Chronicles of a Fallen Love by The Bloody Beetroots feat. Greta Svabo. Obviously I don't own this song, I heard it on Teen Wolf ^-^ and I've been obsessed ever since. Remember to review, if you do you will have brought a smile to this ol'girl's face. Good karma!**

Chapter 5: Standing Out

Raven's P.O.V

Raven lazily lay across her bed, sinking into her mattress. She savored the serenity she felt lying there undisturbed. Her mind and body was at total peace, something she hadn't quite felt in a while. Slowly her thoughts drifted to her rendezvous at the mall. A week had passed since the birth of her friendship with Aria. Raven had gained a whole new respect for her-realized how strong Aria was and how much they had in common regarding family issues. Raven slid her hand down to her side. The same side that now possessed a tattoo. Somehow Aria had convinced her to get the permanent mark.

_"And for some reason I don't regret it,"_ Raven pondered, leaving her comfortable position to inspect the tattoo. She lifted up her shirt and nearly smiled at the precise artwork. Above her hip was a plump, little robin. The burnt orange creature was designed with meticulous light brown feathers. Its wings were spread apart as if it was taken flight. The dark eyes shone with a look of hope. Despite all speculations that could be made, Raven did not get the bird in dedication of her unrequited love interest. No, she got the bird because of what it represented. A robin symbolizes a new beginning, something Raven could desperately use. Suddenly, a high pitched ringing pulled Raven out of her state of mind. Quickly, she located where the noise was coming from, her cellphone.

"Hello," Raven answered.

"Raaaeeee, I haven't seen you in like forever," a voice wailed.

"Aria, volume," Raven winced at the girl's powerful pair of lungs.

"Sorry, but sheesh, you just seemed to have fallen off the face of the Earth," Aria said.

"I've been sort of busy," Raven deflected.

"Well, you're not busy tonight, we're going to Royals," Aria proclaimed.

"I'm not sure..."Raven started, ready to decline the offer.

"Come on Rae, plllleeeeeasssseee," Aria showed no signs of giving up.

"Fine, if it will shut you up, I'll go," Raven gave in.

"Yeah!" Aria cheered. "See you at ten," Raven hung up the phone slightly annoyed with herself for giving up so easily. But then she thought of her last escapade to Royals. All of a sudden, she craved that sensation she felt running through her veins when she was at the club.

Raven cautiously applied the midnight black mascara, courtesy of Aria, onto her eyelashes.

"There that should do it," Raven spoke, brushing her eyelashes one last time. She took a step back and examined her reflection. Raven was garbed in a lavender tube top, flared a little at the bottom. A black skirt reaching her mid- thigh complimented the top half of her outfit. A black pair of stiletto heels and a silver belt hanging loosely at her waist completed the outfit. But attention was demanded towards her face. Shimmery, light purple eye shadow highlighted her now green eyes. Long, dark eyelashes fanned her eyes, giving the impression of a darker undertone of the girl. The glossy deep purple lips could make anyone melt of lust or boil of envy.

"I think I made a certain girl happy," Raven smirked, touching her hair to make sure it was in place. The indigo locks were held back by a silver clip on each side of her head. Her hair flowed down her back in curly waves. Ready to leave, Raven had one last thought.

"Maybe I should tell someone I'm leaving," she paused. "On second thought, I won't be missed too much."

Raven entered Royals, suddenly feeling very modest in regards to her ensemble. This was very unlike her to dress in something that made her look sexy in a way. A few stares from the opposite sex made her want to return to the baggy jeans and t-shirt. Her green eyes roamed the vivacious scene looking for her companion. She didn't have to search long before she caught sight of a mess of highlighted brown hair swinging every which way. Cautiously balancing on her heels, Raven pushed past the blockade of people reaching Aria.

"Aria," Raven interrupted the dancing girl.

"Hi, Rae! Come and sit," Aria requested, leading her to the bar. Taking a seat, Aria exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, you look gorgeous. One trip to the mall and you're a brand new person,"

"Thanks. It's gonna take some getting use to, but I like it," Raven beamed.

"So, where have you been for the past week?" Aria asked.

"Y'know, fighting crime," Raven halfheartedly joked. Aria opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by a hand suddenly placed on her mouth. Raven looked up to see those familiar fulvous brown eyes.

"Excuse me, but something tells me my sister was about to put her foot in her mouth," Hale grinned. Aria sent a fierce glare Hale's way, mumbling some very harsh words into his hand.

"I get the message," Hale removed his hand.

"You're such a jerk," Aria retorted.

"How is it you have time to converse with us when you have job to do at the moment?" Raven asked a little too innocently.

"I much rather talk to a beautiful girl than spin some discs," Hale replied, catching Raven off guard. A blush crept onto Raven's pale face, despite her best efforts to hide it. She deliberately looked away, hoping he didn't notice.

"Hale!" an all too familiar voice boomed.

"How is it that I'm called to do a pesky thing called work when I'm sweeping beautiful girls off their feet?" Hale mimicked, sauntering back to the turntable.

"Get that look off your face," Aria said.

"What look?" Raven asked confused.

"That dreamy look you have, he's not that cute," Aria smiled. A new electronic song began pulsating throughout the building.

"Ooh I love this song!" Aria shrieked.

"You love all the songs," Raven replied.

"Just one of the perks of being the DJ's sister," Aria lead Raven to the dance floor, both girls smiling.

Robin's P.O.V

Music boomed throughout the entire club and countless bodies thrashed wildly to the beat. Sweat and alcohol clung to the heavy air. Annoyingly vibrant lights lit up the dance floor. Robin took all this in, the urge to go home building every second. Not to mention the ladies gawking at him made that urge turn into a burning desire.

"Why am I here?" Robin asked himself.

"Relax, bird boy, take a chill pill and a shot of vodka," Beast Boy urged. Robin sent him a searing look of aggravation, making Beast Boy crumble before his eyes. He was still burning with irritation because of the squabble that occurred before they entered Royals. Apparently, Beast Boy forgot to mention he wasn't exactly 21 yet. So it took Robin's fist to convince the bouncer to let him in.

"Y'know what grass stain I just might take you up on that drink," Robin continued. "But you, however, better not take a single frikin sip of anything remotely close to alcohol. I'm not going to be blamed for when you can't handle it. Got it?" Beast Boy vigorously nodded his head in response.

"Okay, well how bout we just relax a bit," Cyborg tried to lighten the mood.

"Whatever," Robin muttered. His hidden eyes scanned the dark building, searching for the nearest exit. His roaming eyes came to a halt and his heart nearly stopped beating when he saw her. She sat down at the bar with her slender, short legs crossed and a humorous expression plastered on her face. She had an alluring figure accentuated by her outfit and her dark hair fell in loose curls down her back.

"Raven!" Robin sputtered.

"What about Raven?" Cyborg questioned.

"Isn't that her?" Robin speculated.

"What would Raven be doing here?" Beast Boy smirked. Cyborg peered at the beautiful girl before saying "It looks like her with the hair and all, but Raven doesn't have green eyes. And where's her chakra?" Robin suddenly felt less sure of himself now.

"No way could that gorgeous creature be Raven. Besides could you imagine her here? Beast Boy resumed. "From the way you constantly talk about her, I would think you were in love with her.

"What?! No!" Robin exclaimed. Cyborg gave him a funny look.

"I'm not, I'm with Star!" Robin was adamant. "When did everyone become so involved with my love life?"

"When it included Raven," Beast Boy answered. Robin shot him a dirty look and Beast Boy recanted his argument.

"Whatever, we have more appealing women right here in front of us to talk about," Beast Boy changed the subject. His green eyes widened at the pretty girl walking boy.

"Hey baby," Beast Boy stopped her. "Your feet must hurt because you've been running through my mind all day,"

"Get lost, loser," she hissed. Cyborg and Robin both broke into uproarious laughter.

"She's just playing hard to get," Beast Boy claimed. "Here watch this." He approached an oncoming female with a cheesy grin.

"I forgot my phone number. Can I have yours?" Beast Boy grinned.

"Sure it's 1-800-Go to Hell," she smiled sweetly before stalking off. Robin's sided began to hurt from the amount of laughter he was releasing. A new song roared from the huge speakers.

"Come on, man let's dance," Cyborg suggested.

"Nah, you guys go ahead. Imma hang at the bar," Robin declined. Robin walked over to the bar and took his seat. Once again his eyes rested on the Raven look-a-like who was now on the dance floor. Robin observed her as she proceeded to move her body along with the rhythmic pounding, his eyes never leaving her for a second.

_I'm in the dark, I'm underwater_

_Searching for a teardrop in the water_

_I can feel your shadow over me_

_I can hear your whisper in my ear_

_The ocean is bleeding, it's taken me down_

_I'm falling, you're watching me fall_

The rhythmic tempo was replaced with a blaring pounded. Robin stared as the mysterious girl rocked her body with the music. She twirled, her hair swooshing around her. Robin's complete attention was captivated by the entrancing woman.

_I'm watching as your body is falling deeper_

_You're looking for a teardrop, here it is_

_I remember the way you used to dance_

_Then I remember that you will never dance again_

_Now you're falling, and I'm falling with you_

_And with us, and with blood, and with love_

The beat once again picked up turning into a pounding sensation. Robin's testosterone levels jumped with the music as he gawked at the girl, being sure not to be too obvious about it.

_Our heartbeats use to move in time_

_They slowed down left us behind_

_This is the story of a fallen love_

The song reached its ultimate climax. Time seemed to be suspended as he watched the girl raise her arms above her head. Her arms seemed to be doing an intricate dance as she spun to the prolonged verse.

_Fallen love_

The moment ended when the music picked back up. But that moment would forever be locked in Robin's memory. Soon the song came to a slow halt, but Robin's racing heart did not.


	6. Surprise!

Chapter 6: Surprise!

Raven's P.O.V

"You were right, that song was pretty good," Raven acknowledged.

"I'm always right, so you better start getting used to it," Aria bragged.

"That statement just might be true, I wouldn't be out here having fun if you hadn't opened your big mouth," Raven said as Aria lightly slapped her arm. Raven had to admit, her nightly outings revealed a whole new world-a world that didn't involve fighting unrelenting criminals or pesky feelings. Although she felt honored to protect those who couldn't protect themselves, Raven just wanted a break. Her little adventures with Aria allowed her to unleash any lingering stresses. Guilt still managed to creep up on her like a predator stalking its prey when she thought of the team; lying to her friends made Raven feel a little sick despite wanting something for herself. But then again, Raven had dedicated the past five years to her friends, her family.

"Oh my gosh," Aria suddenly froze, gawking at a sight behind Raven.

"What is it?" Raven asked, concerned about her friend's current state.

"Who's... who's that hottie with a body?!" a now beaming Aria exclaimed.

"Please never say that again. And seriously that's what you're worked up over?" Raven said.

"Look at him! He's gorgeous, is this love, is this what love feels like? Am I experiencing love at first sight?" Aria gasped.

"Aria, calm yourself, you're not..."Raven didn't get to finish when Aria grasped her bare shoulders and spun her around saying "Just look!"

Raven's stomach plunged to her feet and she momentarily forgot to breathe. All she could do was stare at the person before her with large eyes. His bulky figure stood above the rest, his muscles prominent against his dark gray t-shirt, dark eyes betraying the calm interior despite an intimidating exterior. That's not what caught Raven's attention,though, it was the fact she knew who he was.

"Is that Cyborg!?" Raven thought. She peered carefully, scanning his face and fully realized it was him.

"Let's go over there," Aria voiced. "Besides he has a cute friend, cuter than my brother."

"Wait, what?" Raven asked. She glanced in Cyborg's direction and noticed his blonde haired companion.

"Beast Boy, too. They can't see me like this," Raven inwardly panicked.

"Let's go," Aria began to make her way to her sudden love interest. Raven quickly caught her arm saying "Let's not and say we did."

"Don't worry, you'll be fine, it's not like you've never interacted with boys before," Aria raised her eyebrows. "You have talked to boys before, right?"

Raven thought fast and said "You know what, I forgot to feed my cat, so I better go. Okay bye."

"Rae, wait!" Aria called to the retreating bird. Raven barged through the hordes of people, every instinct urging her to not look back. She slammed against the glass door, the cool air whipping in her face. Raven cautiously looked behind her, satisfied no one was following her, and began her walk down the sidewalk. It would have been a clean getaway if it weren't for one curious bird.

Robin's P.O.V

Robin had no idea what was happening to him. He had just stared at a girl that wasn't Starfire for five straight minutes. Robin's sudden attraction for the enigmatic beauty was something completely different from the way he felt for Starfire. This girl had a darker magnificence that captured Robin's attention. Her eyes held secrets, secrets that Robin longed to find out. The way she danced only intensified Robin's evolving obsession. She had looked so serene and at peace and she moved with a certain kind of freedom. Robin had to know who she was. His eyes roamed the chaotic scene searching for that all too familiar violet hair. His heart nearly stopped beating when he saw her exiting the club. Without thinking, Robin hopped off the stool and stumbled after her.

As soon as the brisk nighttime air hit him, Robin's senses were awakened. He covertly blended into the shadows, stealthily following the girl. He observed as she strolled down the sidewalk, her heels clicking softly against the pavement. Robin came to a sudden halt when he grasped the reality of his actions.

"Man, what are you doing? Stalking some girl? But there's something about her," Robin shook his head. "No, this is wrong."

As he began to turn around, a hand suddenly clamped down on the girl's arm. The owner of the hand now became visible after stepping into the moonlight. He wore a dark blue sweatshirt and a pair of baggy jeans. A black cap obscured his eyes, but a sinister grin was plastered on his face.

"Pretty girls shouldn't be walking out here in the dark alone," he sneered. To Robin's amazement the girl didn't even flinch, instead she spoke up in a confident tone.

"Look, I don't have time for this. So here are your options: walk away or wake up in the hospital. Your choice."

"I'll go with the first option, but you're coming with me," he growled, jerking on her pale arm. Robin swiftly pulled out his extra bird-a-rang, however he stopped in mid-throw. The man was now engulfed in darkness, dangling in mid- air.

"The hell? Put me down you bit-" his sentence was interrupted as the black energy covered his mouth.

"I really tried to be nice and warn you," she stated, her eyes flashing a brilliant white. With a flick of her wrist, the despicable man was tossed in the nearest dumpster, the lid slamming down on him. The girl looked behind, made sure no one saw and rose into sky. She soundlessly flew away, unknowingly leaving behind a witness. A very confused Robin emerged from the shadows, rendered speechless. In the past few minutes, the lines of black and white became a gray blur. All he could make out was, "Raven?"


	7. Letting Yourself Go

**Bonjour, my little marshmallows! So the last chapter was just okay for me, so I hope this extra long one will make up for it. Anyways my newest obsession is Fall Out Boy and I know I'm like seven+ years too late. Blame FOB if I don't update fast enough for people. So I truly hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Remember to review, and my thanks goes to those who have. Oh before I get sued or something I don't own the song (Ani Difranco-Untouchable Face) mentioned in this chapter. However I did rearrange the lyrics and made it a rock n'roll song. Ciao!**

Chapter 7: Letting Yourself Go

Raven's P.O.V

"She had beautiful eyes and a great smile. It felt so right being with her, she was amazing," Cyborg told Raven.

"Oh, really? And what was her name again?" Raven smirked.

"Aria, Aria Chance," Cyborg replied.

"Aria, huh?" Raven repeated, the smile not leaving her face. She had been listening intently to Cyborg's retelling of his epic romance the previous night. Apparently, Aria had introduced herself to Cyborg after Raven left, and the two hit it off. Raven was glad her two friends found happiness in each other. She was especially pleased to see that constant smile on Cyborg's face and the sparkle in his eyes. She even ignored the alarm that passed through her that Cyborg could figure her out. Instead she took another bite of the breakfast provided by him.

"Y'know Rae, we haven't done this in a while," Cyborg referred to their pleasant breakfast together. Raven came to the realization that he was right. Ever since that night at Royals, she hadn't been spending that much time with her beloved friends. Guilt weighed heavily on her as she thought about her promise to be more devoted to her team.

"You're right and I'm very sorry about that. I just wanted to take some time to myself and finally figure out who I am besides a demon portal. But that doesn't make up for not being here when I should be," Raven apologized.

"It's really great you want to do that, but just remember you have a family here. I mean we need somebody who's a little sane around here," Cyborg said.

"Really? I thought that person was Robin," Raven replied.

"Not too sure about that after the whole Slade thing," Cyborg joked, getting a soft chuckle from Raven. They sat together in a comfortable silence as they continued eating. However, that peaceful silence was interrupted by the light clatter of footsteps entering the kitchen. Raven looked up to see an array of bright colors worn by none other than the Boy Wonder.

"Hey," Cyborg greeted, "Care to join us?" Robin gave a curt nod and stiffly sat down. As he poured himself a steaming cup of coffee, Raven noticed something off about him. Although Robin wasn't a morning person, he was never completely detached. An unusual silence hung around him. This morning Robin came off cold and distant, as if something was deeply troubling him. Raven suddenly felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise.

"Is he staring at me?" Raven thought, casting a glance in his direction. However, Robin looked intent on finishing his coffee. Raven continued to subtly scrutinize him, trying to pick up any signs of trouble. Despite her attempts, the mask was able to conceal any expression of distress Robin might've had. Raven shook her head deciding that she would ask him later.

"Hey, why did no one tell me about having breakfast together?" Beast Boy whined, as he walked in on the three members sitting together at the table.

"We didn't plan on it, it just happened. Besides you probably still wouldn't have been invited," Cyborg replied.

"Ha ha, very funny, tin man," Beast Boy narrowed his eyes. He had barely sat down when he started scarfing down his plate of tofu. Raven resisted the urge to remove his jaw, as he obnoxiously made noises of pleasure. For the next five minutes they sat in a perfect silence until Beast Boy broke in saying "So, what's new?"

For the first time that morning Robin uttered some words saying, "I don't know ask Raven."

"Excuse me," Raven was confused by what Robin was implying.

"Well Raven, it has come to my attention that you've been sneaking off at night. As leader of this team I feel the need to be aware of your recent activities. What's the matter goth girl? Finally got some friends and afraid they can't handle who you really are?" Robin finished, taking a sip of his drink. An eerie calm hung in the air, as the Titans took in what Robin had just said and waited for Raven's upcoming response. Cyborg just pressed his fingers to his temple and Beast Boy searched for the nearest escape. Raven gaped at Robin and tried to wrap her head around the words that came from his mouth. Before saying anything that would ultimately wound their friendship, Raven needed to get to the bottom of Robin's new found attitude. Using their mental bond, she began to probe the shadows that was his mind. A strong mix of emotion hit Raven with a lasting punch. She could distinguish betrayal, confusion...and was that lust? She had just deciphered the feeling when mental barriers began building, shoving her out of his head.

'Stay out of my head,' Robin mentally commanded.

"Look, I don't know what your problem is but maybe we can talk about it minus the hostility," Raven finally replied aloud. A unanimous sigh of relief came from Cyborg and Beast Boy at Raven's calmness.

"My problem is you, but I thought we already made that clear," Robin responded, clearly not in the mood for listening to reason today.

"Last time I checked you weren't my keeper," Raven snapped. The hostility and tension kept mounting with every comment. Beast Boy let out a small cough.

"Y'know what, it's been fun, but I just remembered I have to do that thing with that other thing and yeah." Beast Boy speedily fled the room leaving Cyborg alone with the feuding members. The metallic hybrid wasn't about to allow all hell to break loose.

"Okay, well that's enough for the day. Time to go back to our rooms for some quiet alone time," Cyborg attempted to relieve his team members of their verbal battle.

"No Cy, she needs to know she can't just go to God knows where without informing the team. Unless of course she's doing something she shouldn't be," Robin said.

"Seriously? You let Starfire leave the firkin planet and I'm being harassed! I'm going to ignore what you may or may not have insinuated, it's none of your business what I do outside this tower," Raven argued.

"Girl's got a point," Beast Boy peeked around the hallway. Robin sent him a fierce look and the changeling let out a squeak, transforming into a mouse.

"You might want to remember who you're talking to here. As your leader I have the right to revoke you from the team because of insolence," Robin spoke. Raven's eyes widened and her mouth slightly fell open. Did he just threaten to kick her off the team?

"So are you going to tell me about where you've been recently or stand there with your mouth open?" Robin asked in a cold tone. Raven closed her mouth and stood up, the chair scraping across the floor.

"I think it's best I leave before I do something I'll regret," Raven spoke with as much spite as she could muster.

"What are you going to do? Write a poem about how much you lie to your supposed friends?" Robin sneered, his tone unrelenting and body language setting Raven off even more.

"No I'm going to write a poem about you. It goes like this: Roses are red, violets are blue, a certain pig head, deserves a big SCREW YOU!" Raven exclaimed. No more comments were made after that, instead Raven was left with the startled expressions of her teammates. Raven stormed off down the hall, her cloak whisking behind her. The door slammed shut behind her as she entered her room. Raven paced back and forth across the carpeted floor, anger boiling inside of her as she thought of Robin's insults. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she pictured ramming her fist into Robin's face.

"I don't care how emotionally screwed up he is, he had no right to treat me like that," Raven steamed. She forced herself to sit down, hoping to calm down. Her effort was to no avail, Raven only continued to grind her teeth and huff and puff. Struck with an idea, Raven reached for her cellphone on her mahogany desk. As she dialed the number she thought, 'This will really piss him off.'

"Hello," a voice answered from the other end.

"Hey, Aria, did you have anything planned for tonight?" Raven asked.

"Oh hi, Rae," Aria sounded surprised. "Well, umm, I actually did have a little something in mind."

"Oh really, what?" Raven inquired.

"Let's just say it sure as hell ain't no Royals," Aria laughed.

* * *

"His name is Victor Stone, he had the most gorgeous eyes ever. And a nice body to match. It felt so right being with him," Aria drooled.

"That's great, Aria, but where are you taking me?" Raven asked for the millionth time.

"Relax," Aria and Hale replied in perfect sync. Aria obviously still had not told a very confused Raven where they were taking her. But whatever they were doing was a heck of a lot better than staying in the tower with Robin. The brawl had rocked Raven to her core. Not only was she totally furious, but she was a little dejected. For her best friend and secret love to be able to say those things to her, hurt Raven more than words could ever show. Any hope of Robin returning the undying love she felt for him vanished along with their close friendship.

"Where do we go from here?" Raven wondered. Aria and Hale suddenly made a sharp left down a dark alley and Raven cautiously walked behind them. The alley was nearly pitch black, there was only a faint light above a closed back door. An acrid stench arose from the huge dumpster and rats scurried down the alley ahead of them. Raven instinctively covered her nose and said "It smells like wet dog and are you sure we're heading in the right direction? And don't tell me to relax."

"Chill," Hale said while Aria let out a small snicker. They stopped in front of the back door, which now Raven could see was marked with a golden star. Aria knocked on the door and a tiny section of the door slid open to reveal a deep pair of green eyes.

"Aria, Hale, and a friend," Aria simply stated. The section was closed and a minute later the door opened. The owner of the green eyes stood in the doorway. A tall blonde leaned against the door with a smile on her face.

"Welcome to Carrie-oke," the girl greeted them motioning for them to come inside. It was then Raven noticed her subtle uniform. The girl simply wore a black t-shirt with Carrie-oke in gold letters on it.

"Hey Jillian," Aria said as she walked in.

"H-hi Jillian," Hale stuttered quickly walking by. Raven simply gave her a polite head nod. Raven quirked an eyebrow as she gazed at the scene before her. Dozens of people were either crowded around the stage or the bar. Beers sloshed in their hand as they drunkenly sang along with the equally drunk girl on the stage. Amongst the uproarious scene a DJ working the music for the karaoke egged the audience on.

"Over here, Rae," Aria waved her over to a table they now sat at. Raven sat down next to Aria in the booth with a questions written all over her face.

"Shoot," Aria said.

"One: The name? Two: How did you two know about this place? Three: The audience?" Raven finished.

"The woman who owns the place is named Carrie," Aria began to explain.

"My friend happens to be the DJ. Us DJ's gotta stick together, kind of like the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but instead we're the Brotherhood of the Traveling Turntable," Hale joked, getting a small smile from Raven.

"Besides this is where all the greats are discovered," Aria added.

"I can see that," Raven referred to the current singer's raspy rendition of 'Rolling in the Deep'.

"They're not all great," Aria defended. "As for the audience, there's free beer tonight." Raven nodded and began to settle in this new environment. For some reason she took comfort in the crowd's carefree attitude. Although they were most likely too far past the point of being sober, they looked genuinely happy.

"My sister is actually a lot worse than Adele up there," Hale pointed out.

"Shut up, no I'm not, you jerk," Aria slapped his arm.

"Denial is not just a river in Egypt," Hale shook his head.

"I'm going to beat you with a stick one of these days," Aria pointed a threatening finger towards him. Raven looked between the two of them shaking her head at their little spat. All attention turned to the stage when a staggering man came on. His baldhead shined underneath the spotlight and his potbelly protruded from under his beer stained shirt. In a slurred, husky voice he began singing Cascada's 'Evacuate the Dance Floor'. The audience roared as he began busting a move. Raven couldn't help but laugh at his complete idiocy. Halfway through the song, the man whipped off his shirt and started swinging it above his head. The crowd was in hysterics when the unthinkable happened, and everyone watched as he slipped off the stage, landing flat on his face. A great silence spread across the bar like wildfire. Suddenly, he rose back up saying "Evacuate the dance floor!"

Raven found herself being caught up in the thunderous cheers.

"Got to love beer and karaoke," Hale grinned.

"Speaking of beer, I could go for one," Aria started to get up.

"No, I'll get it," Hale smiled.

"Thanks, little brother," Aria smiled back. Hale left with a tussle of Aria's hair. Raven gave them a strange look wondering what just happened.

"You guys went from tearing at each other's throats to being the best friends in the whole entire world. How?" Raven asked.

"Simple. He's my brother, he's supposed to annoy me yet make me happy, too," Aria said. Three glass mugs of beer were sat down on the table in front of them.

"Drink up," Hale said, taking a seat. Raven stared at the drink in front of her. A brownish orange liquid filled the cup, tiny bubbles collected at the top with the frothy, white foam.

"I'm not much of a drinker," Raven declined.

"Just take a sip, it's really good, I promise you," Aria persuaded. Raven took a deep breath and raised the glass to her lips. An acidic, bitter taste filled her mouth and she almost gagged.

"This is terrible," Raven sputtered.

"I know," Aria took another sip.

"Then why do you drink it?" Raven inquired.

"Don't know," Aria laughed. Raven couldn't help but laugh along with her.

"Excuse me, I need to visit the ladies' room," Aria excused herself leaving Raven alone with Hale. She suddenly felt a little shy, never really having a one-on-one conversation with Hale.

"So, why'd you become a DJ?" Raven thought fast.

"Already asking personal questions before the first date?" Hale teased. Raven's pale cheeks became a faint red to her dismay.

"Is this what you do? Constantly flirt?" Raven asked.

"Essentially," Hale grinned. The conversation was interrupted by a breathless Aria now standing beside the table.

"Don't ...be mad...Rae...but..." she didn't get to finish.

"Up next we have Rae Roth," the DJ announced.

"What?" Raven sputtered. "Aria, you didn't." The girl guiltily nodded her head with a sheepish expression.

"No, never," Raven stated. She couldn't imagine herself doing something so public. Getting up in front of a huge crowd was bad enough, but singing was out of the question.

"Come on, these people are so wasted, tomorrow they probably won't remember anything," Aria pleaded. Raven was adamant; she was not getting on that stage.

"Hale," Aria shot him a helpless look. Hale gave Raven a mischievous wink, before jumping up from his seat.

"Rae! Rae!" he began shouting. Soon the rest of the bar got caught up in the mantra. Raven found herself forcefully thrown in the spotlight she had so desperately tried to avoid. Everyone looked at her expectantly waiting for her to take the stage. She wanted to crawl under a rock and never come out.

"Rae, I'm sure you've faced worse than a crowd of people you'll probably never see again," Aria suddenly said. She was right, Raven had faced much worse. From horrid villains to the deepest pits of hell, Raven had seen it all. Better yet, she had seen it through. In that moment a newfound courage was awakened in her, and Raven wasn't going to let a performance scare her.

"Give me the damn mic," Raven said. The place roared with cheers, making Raven cringe a little. She walked up to the DJ with her legs shaking a little.

"What will it be, sweetheart?" he asked, handing her a microphone.

"Anything about that one damned person who gets you every time," Raven replied, thinking of Robin.

"I know exactly what you need," he gave her a wink. Raven tentatively walked on to the platform. Her heart rate was a racecar and she wasn't even sure she was in control. Minute beads of sweat appeared on her hands. The bright lights were blinding her yet protecting her from the constant stares. She gripped the microphone, her knuckles turning to a pale white. A hard-hitting beat blasted through the speakers. The electric guitar played a complex melody with a dark edge. Raven found herself nodding her head to the music. But as soon as the lyrics appeared on the screen, the guitar slowed and Raven knew it was time.

_Think I'm going for a walk now  
I feel a little unsteady  
I don't want no one to follow me  
Except maybe you_

Raven refused to look at the audience as she sang along. As she sang she couldn't help but notice how close to home the song hit.

_I could make you happy, you know  
If you weren't already  
I could do a lot of things  
And I do_

The DJ wasn't lying when he told Raven this was the song she needed. The song was literally her complicated love life.

_Tell you the truth I prefer the worst of you  
Too bad you had to have a better half  
She's not really my type  
But I think you two are forever  
And I hate to say it, but you're perfect together_

The electric guitar began to play a heavy anthem filled with emotion. The beat continued to thump in a rhythmic tempo. Everyone let out a chorus of woo's and began to dance wildly to the music. Raven looked up to see a dancing Aria. Their eyes met and Aria pointed to her as she danced.

'What the hell?' Raven thought. She thrashed her body side-to-side along with the music. As the lyrics came up she grabbed the mic and sang along loudly.

_So screw you  
And your untouchable face  
Screw you  
For existing in the first place  
And who am I  
That I should be vying for your touch  
Who am I  
Bet you can't even tell me that much_

Raven pulled her hair from the ponytail it was in and whipped her head from side to side. She realized she was having fun on this stage in front of this crowd of people. The song returned to just the rhythmic beat.

_Out on the porch the fly strip is  
Waving like a flag in the wind  
You know I really don't look forward  
To seeing you again_

'Here's to you Richard,' Raven thought.

_You look like a photograph of yourself  
Taken from far far away  
And I won't know what to do  
And I won't know what to say_

With the music hitting that edgy style again, Raven decided to do the same. She slid off her brown leather jacket, revealing her deep red tight t-shirt. On a whim she tossed it into the hysterical crowd. She was surprised to see the many hands reaching for it.

_So screw you  
And your untouchable face  
Screw you  
For existing in the first place  
And who am I  
That I should be vying for your touch  
Who am I  
Bet you can't even tell me that much_

By then the audience were singing along with enthusiasm. The song began to pick up, reaching the ultimate climax.

_I see you when I'm so perplexed  
What was I thinking  
What will I think of next  
Where can I hide  
In the back room there's a lamp  
That hangs over the pool table  
And the fan that's on it swings  
Gently side to side  
There's a changing constellation  
Of balls as we are playing  
I see Orion and say nothing  
The only thing I can think of saying is_

_Screw you_

The song came to a sudden stop, leaving a dazed Raven. The crowd cheered for her and the DJ congratulated her on a stunning performance. Raven left the stage with a smile fixated on her face. There was a warm, fuzzy feeling in her stomach that she never wanted to let go.


	8. Fading Feelings

Chapter 8: Fading Feelings

Raven's P.O.V

When Raven opened her door she did not expect to find what she found. No, she expected to make Chamomile tea, avoid Robin, and return to her quiet chambers. She never suspected that she would see a large teddy bear directly outside her door. For a split second all Raven could do was stare at the bundle of fur. The creamy white fur securing the stuffing, was tinged with purple. It had two lavender ribbons hooked onto its ears and a matching one around its neck. Delicately placed in the bear's arms was a new box of tea and the classic horror story 'The Call of Cthulu'. The anonymous gift just stared back with his vacant, chocolate brown eyes. Raven stepped over the threshold casting a glance down both ends of the corridor. No one was in sight. Picking up the bear, she warily inspected it and noticed the inscription on the collar.

"To a certain empath," she read. Walking back into her room, Raven wondered who would have gotten her a present.

"Do you like it?" a deep voice asked. Raven looked up to see Robin standing in the middle of her room with an unreadable expression.

"Now that I know it was from you, hell no," Raven hissed, tossing the bear in his direction. Robin caught the bear at the last second, his mouth turning into a slight frown.

"And how did you get in here?" Raven demanded.

"I am the boy wonder after all," he smirked.

"Well, I suggest you leave before I make you," Raven continued to fume. She wasn't going to let Robin get off the hook that easy. The harsh words he spoke the previous day struck a nerve and Raven wasn't about to let it go.

"Raven," he took a deep breath. "I wanted to apologize for what I said."

"Apologize for what? For calling me a liar or implying I was a traitor of some sort. Or how about just insulting me in general," Raven retorted.

"All of it. I admit, I was a huge jerk to you and you didn't deserve that. I'm very sorry for the way I acted," Robin apologized. Raven remained silent, unsure if she should forgive him.

"I'm sure this doesn't justify my actions, but I had a reason for it," Robin continued. "Lately you've been acting different, more distant, I should say. I'm worried that we'll become strangers to each other."

"Robin, I-I'm going through a change. I finally have the freedom to express my emotions and live a life without fearing the threat of my father. Although I'm not going to become a complete stranger, I will be a little different," Raven finally spoke.

"I totally understand where you're coming from, but that doesn't mean you have to abandon our friendship," Robin argued. Raven paused before responding to what he had just said. The word friendship took a heavy toll on her. Being around Robin, knowing they were just friends, broke her heart in two. She didn't know how much longer she could continue with a burden this heavy.

"I would never abandon our friendship, but at the same time I'm not always going to be there," Raven spoke softly.

"I need you, Rae," Robin took a step closer.

'Please stop doing this,' Raven silently begged. 'Stop making me fall in love with you.' The boy wonder just had the insanely annoying habit of knowing the right words to say to her. Robin was her only kryptonite; he made her a victim to his charm.

"I need you, too," Raven whispered. Robin pulled her into a tight embrace. Raven stiffened at the physical contact, willing herself to be strong and not give in. However, all of her defense mechanisms melted from the feeling of his strong arms encircling her. Raven slowly wrapped her thin arms around Robin completing the act of affection. She rested her head against his chest and listened to the rhythm of his heartbeat. Raven could've stayed like this for an eternity, but unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

"Robin," a familiar voice called.

"Oh, I completely forgot that Starfire is coming home today," Robin groaned, lightly slapping himself in the forehead. He shot Raven an apologetic look.

"You should go," Raven said retracting her arms from around him. Robin nodded and headed towards her door before looking back at her.

"Are we okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, we're okay," Raven lied. With that said he left her room. She couldn't help the tears that fell from her eyes and slid down her cheeks. The masked boy held her heart and didn't even know. Robin had once again left her for the real love of his life.

Robin's P.O.V

As Robin walked down the long hallway, thoughts restlessly filled his mind. Despite the conversation he had with Raven, he still felt very uneasy about the entire situation. She still withheld information regarding the night at Royals. And above everything else, his newfound attraction towards Raven haunted him with every glance he had of her. Entering the living room and seeing his supposed girlfriend made him feel even guiltier than he had already felt. How was he in love with Starfire yet attracted to Raven?

"Did I hear someone call my name?" he smiled, pretending everything was just perfect. Starfire lifted her head to the sound of his voice.

"Robin," she squealed, rushing towards him. The Tamaranean enveloped him into a huge hug.

"Umm Star, alien strength, remember?" Robin barely choked out. Starfire quickly released him, but her excitement in seeing him was in no way dampened.

"Oh, I do apologize, it is just that I have missed you so much," Starfire lightly caressed the side of his face. Looking down into her angelic face, Robin could feel himself weaken in the knees. Her beautiful green eyes held such kindness and innocence. With every second passing, he was reminded why he loved her so much.

"I missed you too," Robin told her. He gently pressed his lips against hers. Robin was in a state of ecstasy; he silently wished this moment would never end. However, a soft 'ahem' broke them apart.

"Oh, Raven," Starfire's eyes lit up once again. She floated to her and took Raven's gray hands into her orange ones.

"Dear friend, I missed our time of the girl together greatly," she said.

"If you would like to, we could take some time right now for just us girls," Raven replied. Starfire shot Robin a pleading look. As soon as he gave her the sign it was okay, Starfire led Raven out of the living room. Robin let out a soft chuckle and shook his head as he went to pick up the luggage Starfire had left behind. If he had paid attention, he would've noticed Raven's pained expression.


	9. Bonds

**Guten tag! Ugh, summer work has been hell. Already hate school and it hasn't even started yet. Anyways, I know some of you are waiting for Raven and Robin to finally get together. But remember everything is a process, I want Robin to fall in love with her on his own terms. So bear with me for the next couple of chapters and I promise you an epic romance. Remember never read and run, read and review! Over and out.**

**-Shay **

Chapter 9: Bonds

Raven's P.O.V

The large, glowing sphere slowly ascended into the dull morning sky. A breathtaking display of radiant colors occurred: vibrant streaks of red, orange and pink gradually overcame the purple haze of the twilight sky.

Raven stood alone on the roof of the tower, watching as the golden light pierced the darkness carrying with it the promise of a new day. She marveled at the glistening reflection of the sun on the ocean. The oceanic breeze softly tugged at her. She closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh air. Precious mornings like these made her the hopeful person Robin described her as. Raven slowly rose off the ground and began to fly towards the city. Like Starfire, Raven treasured her gift of flight, although she never told anyone. When she was in the air, a certain calm took place inside of her. All of her freed emotions were at bay. Discrepancies of the heart and mind vanished and Raven was suddenly unburdened. The difference between meditation and flying was quite simple. Meditation was for control and flying was for release.

Once reaching the edge of the city, Raven decided to take a chance. She started to fly over the bustling city, hoping no one would notice her. Gazing down at the city she protected, Raven frowned at the scene. Hundreds of people barged past each other, hustling to get to work. Amongst the morning rush hour, the overwhelming traffic erupted with blaring horns and earsplitting screeches. However, the chaotic spectacle is not what brought a frown to her face. All of those people below her were so intent on getting where they needed to be, they took no notice of the rising sun.

'Beautiful moments like these come so little. We shouldn't waste them, we never know what day will be our last,' Raven recalled her father's close victory. She shook her head slightly and continued on her way.

Several moments passed before her destination came into view. A ghost of a smile appeared on Raven's face when she saw TEAN. TEAN was the local teashop in Jump City. The low-key shop served an assortment of teas and various dishes, and once in a while, an undiscovered band would play there.

Raven cautiously lowered herself down in an abandoned alley. Once she was positive no one saw her, Raven began to make her way to her own personal safe haven. Rounding the corner, she slightly shivered from the cool breeze. Autumn was fast approaching and Raven was beginning to feel the effects.

"Really should've brought a sweater," she muttered. She only wore a form fitting gray t-shirt and a pair of dark skinny jeans.

"Crap!" a voice boomed. Raven reared her head to see a young man looking over the opened hood of a Toyota Camry. His white polo t-shirt was covered in grease stains acquired from his smoking engine. His face betrayed the frustration he was feeling at the moment. But it was his familiar brown eyes that caught Raven's full attention.

'Hale?' Raven thought. Seeing no cars coming at the moment, she jogged across the street.

"Having car trouble?" she smirked.

"Uh yeah, actually I am," Hale looked up. "Oh, hey."

"Hey," Raven greeted.

"As you can see I'm in a bit of a situation here," Hale explained.

"Need any help?" Raven offered.

"Umm...no...I...totally need help," Hale finally said.

"Lucky for you I know a little something about cars," Raven said, thinking of all the work she and Cyborg did on the T-car. Hale moved out of the way as she carefully inspected the damage.

"So what brings you out this morning?" she asked.

"I had a meeting about playing this gig, which I'm probably going to be late for anyway," Hale told her, giving a wry smile.

"Oh," Raven lifted her eyes from the car. "You never answered my question at Carrie-oke."

"And what question would that be?" Hale leaned on the side of his car.

"Why did you become a DJ?" Raven asked. He paused for a second as if thinking about his next choice of words.

"My father use to love music, so I guessed he passed it on to me," Hale spoke softly. The way he said it made Raven almost regret asking what she believed to be a simple question.

"I'm sorry if that was a sensitive subject," Raven apologized.

"No it's fine, it feels nice to talk about him once in a while. I haven't really done so ever since he went to prison," he said.

"Oh, I thought he was..." Raven trailed off.

"Dead? Yeah everyone thinks so at first but no, he isn't. He's serving a life sentence but I guess that's not exactly living either," Hale looked away. An uncomfortable silence rolled in for a few moments.

"So how's my car?" Hale broke in.

"Well, you need a new car battery. I'm going to assume you don't have another one handy, so a tow truck it is," Raven replied.

"Kind of saw that one coming," Hale began to dial the number for a tow truck.

"How long until they get here?" Raven asked once he had hung up.

"20 minutes," Hale answered.

"Oh what are we to do?" Raven put her hand to her forehead, feigning distress.

"I have an idea. How about a game of 'Would You Rather'?" he suggested.

"Would You Rather? Are you serious?" Raven asked.

"As a heart attack," Hale joked.

"You're so weird," she laughed.

"I try," Hale smiled.

"Whatever, I'll go first," Raven paused for a moment. "Would you rather face Michael Myers or Hannibal Lector?"

"Either way I'm screwed, so I guess Michael Myers. Hannibal would make me feel less of myself and eat me at the same time," Hale laughed.

"Point taken," Raven agreed.

"Would you rather drink pee or vomit?" Hale challenged.

"Ugh, what are you, twelve? I'll go with the pee," Raven relented.

Ten minutes later, Raven's sides were aching with laughter. Each question became more and more ridiculous to the point of insanity. She began to see a different side of Hale, the side Aria saw in him. He wasn't just an impossible flirt but a funny, warm human being. Raven was glad to have seen him earlier.

"Would you rather go to the guillotine or have your skin peeled off?" she asked.

"The skin, definitely," he decided.

"You realize that's a lot worse than losing your head," Raven reminded him.

"Yes but then I have more time to charm my way out of it," Hale smirked.

"Only you," Raven shook her head. She looked back up at Hale, only to see him inching closer and closer to her. His eyes seemed to be trained on her. Oh, Azar, was he going to kiss her?

"Whoa, what are you doing?" Raven backed up.

"Oh...I thought...I-I didn't think..." Hale stammered.

"No, you clearly didn't," Raven responded and began to walk away.

"Wait, Rae," Hale caught her hand. "It's not you, it's me.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but those words usually are for when you're ending a relationship with someone. A relationship we obviously are not in," Raven emphasized.

"Let me explain, please," Hale pleaded. Raven gave him a hard stare and nodded for him to continue.

"For the past year I've had these feelings for this girl. She, however, most likely only sees me as a friend. So when I got the impression you liked me today I thought..." he was interrupted by a very steamed substitute.

"You could use me to get over her," Raven finished for him.

"Well, yeah," Hale gave her a very sheepish look.

"That's just great, Hale. Real nice," Raven seethed. Raven really didn't appreciate being someone's rebound. She crossed her arms and leaned against the car, refusing to look at him. Although Raven did not have any romantic feelings for him, she would've been flattered if he had them for her. No matter how much Raven hated to admit it, they were kind of on the same boat. Falling for someone you're not supposed to seemed to be universal.

"Who is she?" Raven gruffly asked.

"Huh?" Hale responded.

"The girl you like. Who is she?" Raven clarified.

"Jillian. You met her at Carrie-oke," Hale said.

"Oh, her," Raven said remembering the tall, friendly blonde.

"Yeah her," Hale repeated. Raven thought for a moment about his current situation.

"You should tell her," Raven spoke up.

"What?" Hale was taken aback.

"You should tell her," Raven repeated.

"What if she doesn't feel the same?" Hale inquired.

"What if she does? Some things in life are worth discovering," Raven assured him.

"What if this ruins our friendship?" Hale was still doubtful.

"Then she wasn't a true friend to begin with," Raven answered. A thundering sound interrupted whatever Hale was going to say. The tow truck had finally arrived to pick up the car.

"I guess should be leaving now," Raven began to walk away.

"Hey Rae," Hale called. "Thanks for the advice." Raven turned her head to give him a simple nod.

'Maybe one day I could follow my own advice," she thought. As much as she wanted to, Raven knew in her heart she wouldn't. Her heart wasn't the only one at stake. She had Robin and Starfire to think of. Raven didn't want to burden Robin with her feeling. She did not want to betray Starfire more than she already had. Starfire had been too much of a friend towards her for her to confess her feelings. With that in mind Raven brushed off her idea of telling Robin. Besides only some things were worth discovering, not all things.


	10. It's Friday Night

**Dia duit peoples! Okay, so like it's been forever! I've been really busy since I started high school last week. I'm going to warn you guys, I'm not going to be able to update as fast, but I'll try. From honor classes to sports to clubs to tv to fanfiction, I'm pretty much killing myself here. But don't worry I won't stop in the midst of such amazing writing :p. I want this story to be a distraction from school or work or whatever. Btw I hope all of you still in school had a good first week or two. Remember to review, follow, and favorite my story, or the fanfic monster will get you (I'm such a dork).**

**-Shay**

Chapter 10: It's Friday Night

Robin's P.O.V

Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick. Round and round the hands of the clock went. Time elapsed with each passing second. Robin lay across his bed, with only the sound of his clock keeping him from total silence. He savored the tranquility of the moment. God knows in his line of duty there is only few of these moments. No lingering tension camped in Robin's muscles; his whole body was in full relaxation. Along with the reduction of stress came a clear mindset. He closed his eyes beneath the mask and a smile rested upon his face. The smile abruptly vanished as Robin moved his arm to lie underneath his head. Pain throbbed in his bruised, beaten arm.

'Nice one, Grayson," Robin scolded himself. After a failed run in with Slade-bots a couple of days ago, Robin had been pushing the team and himself harder during training. He made certain everyone worked past their limits; each member having to execute training sessions specifically designed for their weaknesses. Beast Boy was pushed through a strenuous combative exercise, so he wouldn't need to rely on his transformative powers all the time. Cyborg had to construct a plan to take down a villain in an intricate examination to test their leadership abilities. Starfire battled through an elaborate obstacle course built to assess her flying skills, along with target practice in the middle of it. Raven underwent a series of trials to establish the boundaries of her soul-self. Finally, Robin made sure to combat the source of his obsession head on. He battled a holographic projection of Slade to his full extent more than a reasonable number of times. Needless to say, they were all feeling the effects of the harsh drills, even Raven.

"Raven..."Robin softly whispered. Thoughts of the reserved, mysterious Titan ran rampant in his mind. She had always displayed a calm disposition around the Titans even after her emotions were freed. Despite that he had seen past the monotone voice and neutral expression. He had seen a girl who was strong, brave, and intelligent.

But that night at Royals was different-Raven was different. This time he had seen a woman who carried herself with a certain grace, had a beauty like no other, and possessed a fire within. Raven Roth. A person with many sides to her, a woman who should never be underestimated, and a puzzle Robin didn't have the pieces to solve.

'My oh my, dark girl, you're killing me here,' Robin thought. A soft knock at his door pulled him away from his thoughts. He leapt from his comfortable position on the bed and opened the door. Starfire, the girl he should be thinking of, stood opposite his threshold.

"Hey, Star," Robin grinned, masking the slight guilt he felt.

"Hello, Robin. May I enter?" Starfire asked.

"Yeah, of course," Robin allowed her to enter his room. She turned to look back at him as she sat down on his bed, folding her hands into her lap.

"My presence is welcomed, yes?" Starfire questioned.

"Yeah it is, I wasn't actually doing anything," Robin assured her, taking a seat next to her.

"That is good then since I have a question to ask you," she smiled. Robin nodded his head for her to continue.

"For the past few Earth days we have been training fiercely, in order to apprehend Slade. I believe a cease of training should be called for since today is what you call Friday," Starfire looked at him expectantly.

"I don't know, Star..." he started.

"Is it not customary to do the partying on a Friday?" The alien was suddenly doubtful.

"Well in most cases, yes, but we're different. We have a city to protect, so we really don't have that luxury," Robin explained.

"Yes, I understand your reasoning, but based on Earth years we are still young. Should we not have that luxury?" Starfire continued. "Besides we always defend our city no matter what."

"Alright, you got me, we'll go out tonight," Robin relented.

"Thank you, it will be a pleasurable experience, I'm sure of it," Starfire squealed, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Robin shook his head at her as she bounced out of his room.

'Guess it's up to me to let the rest of the team know,' he thought, exiting his room. Entering the living room, Robin noticed a multitude of things gone wrong. A wailing Beast Boy dangled in midair as he struggled with the metallic fingers gripping his neck. Unaware of another presence in the room, Cyborg continued to restrain the green boy against his will. Beast Boy's name flashed in bold red letters across the television screen under the word 'Winner'.

"I'm not even going to ask," Robin caught the attention of both Titans. Cyborg sheepishly sat down a gasping Beast Boy on the floor.

"Well you see..." Cyborg was interrupted when Robin held up his hand to stop him from continuing.

"As long as he's here to do the dishes tonight, I don't care. I just wanted to know if you guys wanted to go out tonight?" Robin asked.

"Hell yeah we do, where are we going?" Beast Boy recovered from his near death experience in record time.

"I haven't really thought about that but..." Robin stopped in mid-speech when Beast Boy raised both his hands.

"Hold up, let me call some of my connections to see what we can do," Beast Boy retreated back towards his room.

"So he has connections now?" Robin smirked.

"Apparently. Anyways, you ask Raven if she wanted to come?" Cyborg asked.

"On my way to do that now," Robin replied, heading in the direction of Raven's room.

"Good boy," Cyborg called after him. Approaching Raven's door caused tremors of anxiety to course through Robin. He no longer had any idea what to expect from her. After a few unsuccessful knocks, he punched in the overriding code to enter. Once again the dark room was vacate, not a single soul in sight.

'This is becoming a new pattern,' Robin reflected. He couldn't understand why he was feeling so dejected in that moment. Was it because he felt he was losing his best friend? Or something more?

Raven's P.O.V

"He hasn't called me back. What does it mean when he doesn't call me?" Aria whimpered.

"I don't know, maybe he's just busy," Raven reassured her. There they were once again sitting at a booth in Carrie-oke. A petite brunette softly sang a rendition of Lana Del Ray's 'Young and Beautiful'. Her melodic voice filled the bar as dozens of couples gently swayed together.

"Look at all those couples, all happy and stuff. How dare they flaunt their cheesy 'I'm so in love'crap?" Aria spat, taking another swig of vodka.

"Aria, it was your idea to come here on Couples' Night," Raven reminded her.

"Well excuse me for forgetting it was Couples' Night. I apologize for being human and forgetting things," Aria retorted.

"Calm down, Aria," Hale warned.

"No, it's not fair. It's not fair they get to have their little happily ever after's and I'm still waiting for some tool to call me," Aria pouted. Raven rested her hand on Aria's, unsure of what to say about a certain Victor Stone. Despite liking Aria so much, Raven knew how insecure Cyborg was about his appearance. He didn't want to scare her away because of the way he looked. Cyborg especially did not want to deal with the heartbreak that came after. In his mind it was better to not have loved at all than to have loved and lost. In regards to Aria's outlook on the happy couples, Raven had to agree somewhat as she stared at the nearest couple. The young woman gazed into the eyes of her lover and a smile spread across her face. He returned her gaze with a look of longing and joy. Their arms wrapped around each other symbolizing their love. Raven let out a quiet sigh, wishing that one day that could be her.

"Look at us, sitting here like a bunch of hob knockers," Aria continued.

"Come on, Aria, it is not that bad," Hale said.

"Oh your one to talk. Your girl friend-zoned you so bad you can't find your way out, my boy just forgot I even exist, and Rae's...what do you have, Rae?" Aria demanded.

"If only you knew," Raven thought.

"Here's to us, the complicated, the unrequited, and the nonexistent," Aria gestured to each of them with her glass. "May we all die alone."

"Okay, that's enough," Raven moved the glass of alcohol out of her reach.

"Maybe she's got a point," Hale looked down. Suddenly, Aria jumped from her seat and bounced on her heels.

"Do you know what we should do? We should sing a song," Aria proposed.

"What?" Raven sputtered.

"You know if we sing a song we'll release all these pent up emotions," she clarified.

"Yeah, you go do that," Raven said.

"Come on, Rae, I can't do this without you," Aria whined.

"I'm pretty sure you can," Raven replied. The last thing she wanted to do that night was get back on that stage.

"Didn't you have fun last time?" Aria asked.

"Yeah, but..."Raven trailed off.

"But nothing, we are getting on that stage. We are a dynamic duo," she stated.

'Oh, Azar, what have I gotten myself into?' Raven thought as Aria dragged her to the DJ. After choosing a song, she was pulled onto the stage in front of the crowd hungry for more tunes. Raven could already feel that sickening feeling of nerves.

"Alright, ladies and gents, we're gonna liven things up with a little bit of pop action," the DJ announced.

As a steady beat began to pound Aria exclaimed "Is that Vic?"

"What?" Raven screeched. Her worst nightmare began to form right before her eyes. A tall, muscular man dressed in a gray t-shirt with a leather jacket and black jeans entered. Following him was a young blonde haired boy wearing a black button up and a fedora to match. A squealing red headed girl came next clothed in a knee length lavender dress. The girl held the hand of a man with sunglasses as black as night along with a matching V-neck. The Titans had just arrived right before Raven's turn at the mic.

'I am so screwed,' was her last thought before the lyrics appeared on the screen.


	11. Lightning Strikes the Heart

**The songs mentioned in this chapter are Potential Break Up Song by Aly and Aj and Valentine by Sampha and Jessie Ware. To any of my followers who want to know why I haven't posted in such a long time, just ask, and I'll post why in the next chapter. Later...**

Chapter 11: Lightning Strikes the Heart

Robin's P.O.V

"Are you positive we're heading in the right direction?" Robin asked for the millionth time.

"Of course I'm positive. Give me a little credit here," Beast Boy insisted.

After Robin had told the rest of the Titans that they were going out, Beast Boy had immediately called his "connection" and made plans for their outing. So here the Titans were, following a dopey, usually green boy into a back alley.

"Oh, really? Because I'm pretty sure this is the part where a random crook comes out and attempts to rob us," Robin replied. Starfire held a starbolt in her hand, illuminating the opaque alley. The brick walls of two massive buildings stood on either side of the narrow path. A huge dumpster emitted a putrid smell of waste. Rats scampered across the ground, giving little thought to the oncoming Titans.

"Come on, I know where to go, I'm not stupid," Beast Boy protested.

"Could've fooled me," Cyborg snickered. Beast Boy shot him a nasty glare.

"Please friends, refrain from teasing Beast Boy. I am confident he is aware of our surroundings," Starfire defended him.

"Thank you, Star, I am well aware of where we're going," he said, shooting both Robin and Cyborg a triumphant look.

"Speaking of which, where are you taking us again?" Robin asked.

"Oh, it's this really cool karaoke place. So all of you will be blessed with the chance to see my amazing singing skills," Beast Boy said.

"Blessed or cursed, I wonder," Cyborg muttered, starting a whole new argument between the two of them.

"Karaoke is a place where people sing, yes?" Starfire questioned. Robin nodded his head in response.

"Oh joy, then we can dance together," Starfire smiled, using her free hand to grab hold of Robin's.

"Here we are, Titans," Beast Boy stopped in front of red door marked with a golden star. He knocked on the door and a small section of the door opened, disclosing a pair of eyes. A second later the door opened up to reveal a pretty, blonde girl.

"Welcome to Carrie-oke," she pointed to her shirt labeled 'Carrie-oke' in gold lettering. "Come on in."

Entering the karaoke bar, Robin was surprised how low key the place was, considering Beast Boy was the one to pick it out. Booths were lined up against the brick walls surrounding the bar in the center of the room. A small crowd of people was gathered around the stage awaiting the next performance. Following the eyes of the audience, Robin looked onto the stage and as soon as he did time seemed to come to a complete stop.

Everything around him faded away-voices, laughter, music-he was oblivious to it all. The only sound that remained was the beating of his heart as he stared at the reason of his oblivion. There she was on the stage, the indigo haired beauty that may have not captured Robin's heart, but his attention was all hers. A navy blue, wool sweater hung off her shoulders exposing bare skin. Black tights hugged her legs, displaying her feminine curves. Her dark locks cascaded down her back in waves. Dark lashes fanned her eyes, bright and alert. The only features out of place were the vivid green eyes and the forehead no longer bearing the birthstone she bore.

'Raven!' Robin exclaimed inwardly. He couldn't help but to continue to gawk at her when the inevitable happened. Raven glanced his way and for a split second their eyes met. Two pairs of eyes, concealed through different ways, met, and perhaps this was the part where two hearts met. Raven's eyes widened, her whole body tensed, and she suddenly looked away. At this point, Robin had forgotten how to breathe.

"It's her!" Cyborg cried.

"What?" Robin was yanked away from his state of obscurity.

"Aria! The girl I was telling you guys about," Cyborg explained. It was then Robin noticed the other half of the duo on stage. She wore an unbuttoned black and white letterman jacket with a black tank top. She, also, donned a matching pair of white skinny jeans.

"The girl from Royals?" Beast Boy asked.

"Yeah," Cyborg breathed.

"Did you ever call her?" Beast Boy questioned.

"No," Cyborg sighed.

"Dude, I would stay a good 65 feet away from her if you want to live past this night," Beast Boy laughed. Robin regarded how Aria's big brown eyes were now shooting daggers at Cyborg.

"Hey, if it doesn't work out with her, you can always hit up the Raven look-a-like up there," Beast Boy offered. Robin shot an unnoticed glare at the changeling before his eyes swiftly averted once more to the dark-haired girl, his heart swelling up again. And simultaneously, just like that, Robin was introduced to the fact not only was the actual Raven here, she was on the freaking stage!

'Why would she get on stage to sing?' Robin contemplated. For as long as he knew her, Raven had never been the type to want to be in the spotlight. She had always avoided interviews and cameras, claiming 'It wasn't her thing'. For years, Raven's face was hidden by the shadow of her hood. All of a sudden she was on a stage ready to _sing_. Robin didn't even know she could sing, he'd never even heard her sing before.

"Friends! I believe they are about to do the singing!" Starfire clapped her hands together as the music began to throb. The music commenced with a pounding accelerando exploding from the speakers. Aria clutched the microphone in her hand and started the first verse with a modulated singing voice.

_It took too long_

_It took too long_

_It took too long for you to call back_

_And normally I would just forget that_

_Except for the fact it was my birthday_

_My stupid birthday_

With every word, Aria's glare on Cyborg intensified. Robin watched as his friend tried his best to ignore her looks of contempt.

_I played along_

_I played along_

_I played along_

_Rolled right off my back_

_But obviously my armor was cracked_

_What kind of a boyfriend would forget that?_

_Who would forget that?_

The moment Robin had been anticipating finally arrived. Raven began the next verse with a husky, smoky voice that made him melt on the inside.

_The type of guy who doesn't see_

_What he has until she leaves_

Aria interjected with a powerful soprano like voice.

_Don't let me go_

Raven continued with that same smokiness in her tone.

_Cause without me, you know you're lost_

_Wise up now or pay the cost_

Aria, once again, cut in with a lingering high note.

_Soon you will know_

The music began to erupt into a continuous beat. Aria promptly removed the microphone from its clamp with Raven following suit. They strutted to the front edge of the stage and started to rock their hips in sync to the rhythm. Raven ran her fingers through her hair and performed a light seductive motion of dipping her swaying hips. Robin's eyes slightly widened before quickly looking away. A small pang of guilt clawed at him because of his sudden flash of desire. Aria's modulated voice intertwined with Raven's smoky voice and a melodious duet formed.

_You're not livin' till you're livin'  
Livin' with me  
You're not winnin' till you're winnin'  
Winnin' me_

_You're not gettin' till you're gettin'  
Gettin' me  
You're not livin' till you're livin'  
Living for me_

Although the hard hitting music continued with the same edge, their voices simultaneously softened to a sweet harmony.

_This is the potential breakup song  
Our album needs just one  
Oh __baby__ please  
Please tell me_

The duet ended and the duo walked back to the microphone stand, reattaching the mic back to its clamp. Aria continued the song, her performance reflecting the earlier feat.

_We got along  
We got along  
We got along until you did that  
Now all I want is just my stuff back  
Do you get that?  
Let me repeat that  
I want my stuff back_

The husky sound that was Raven's returned, bearing an impact. Robin tried his best to ignore her slender legs shifting back and forth to the beat.

_You can send it in __a __box  
I don't care just drop it off_

Another line ending with a high note erupted from Aria's mouth.

_I won't be home_

A new set of lines beginning led to another chance to hear Raven sing.

_Cause without me, you know you're lost  
Minus you I'm better off_

Robin noted the tiny sparkle in her eyes as Raven sang. She looked to be truly enjoying herself up there. The pre-chorus began with Aria's repeated line from earlier in the song.

_Soon you will know_

Once again the duet commenced with a fire intense enough to set the place ablaze.

_You're not livin' till you're livin'  
Livin' with me  
You're not winnin' till you're winnin'  
Winnin' me  
You're not gettin' till you're gettin'  
Gettin' to me  
You're not livin' till you're livin'  
Living for me_

The beat suddenly turned into a pulsating thud, its vibrations echoing throughout the building. Aria suddenly seized Raven's hand and led her down the stairs and into the audience. The cheering crowd parted a way for them to walk. Nerves rocketed throughout Robin when he saw them approaching.

_You can try, you can try  
You know I know it'd be a lie  
Without me you're gonna cry  
So you better think clearly, clearly  
Before you nearly, nearly  
Mess up the situation that you're gonna miss dearly, dearly  
C'mon_

As the duo marched past the Titans, Aria shot Cyborg another dirty look. Once they had completely walked past the Titans, Aria quickly turned around giving Cyborg the one finger salute. Raven hurriedly turned Aria around by her shoulder and pushed her forward.

_You're not livin' till you're livin'  
Livin' with me  
You're not winnin' till you're winnin'  
Winnin' me  
You're not gettin' till you're gettin'  
Gettin' me  
You're not livin' till you're livin'  
Living for me_

The dynamic duo circled the bar and returned to the stage opposite the side they originally walked off. Their voices blended together into a pleasing harmony for one last verse.

_This is the potential breakup song  
Our album needs just one  
Oh baby please  
Please tell me  
This is the potential make-up song  
Please just admit you're wrong  
Which will it be?  
Which will it be?_

The music came to a halting stop, leaving the entire building silent. The audience erupted into riotous cheers. Aria relished in the glory, smiling and waving, whereas Raven gave a small bashful smile. Robin was speechless; all he could do was to gape at the girl who continued to surprise him. Raven and Aria finally walked out of the spotlight, Raven literally dragging Aria by her arm.

"Your girl's got some pipes, I'll give you that," Beast Boy spoke to Cyborg.

"She's not my girl, at least not anymore," Cyborg replied.

"Their singing was most wondrous, we should commend them for their delightful entertainment," Starfire awed.

"Star, I don't think that's such a..." Cyborg started, but the alien princess was already on her way to their booth. By the time the rest of the team had reached their table, Starfire was in the middle of profusely congratulating them.

"Thanks," Aria responded. Raven, on the other hand, nodded her thanks, avoiding eye contact.

"Victor," Aria greeted coolly as he approached.

"Hey, Aria," Cyborg rubbed the back of his head. Despite the tension thickening in the atmosphere, Robin was unaware of it all. His mind was consumed of thoughts of the mysterious empath now seated before him. With every unexpected detail he learned about her, Raven became more of a stranger. This just drew Robin in even more though, giving him the chance to finally solve the enigma that was Raven. Suddenly, a nudge on the arm from Beast Boy reminded him that reality was still there.

"Dude it doesn't get much better than this," he muttered. Robin finally took note of the escalation of harsh words between Cyborg and Aria.

"So, I'm the bad guy?! Who's the one with a guy at Couples' Night?!" Cyborg exclaimed, his eyes sparking with irritation.

"This is my brother, jackass," Aria retorted. Robin looked at the blonde haired boy sitting across from Raven. The boy seemed genuinely uncomfortable with the amount of hostility in the air.

'Okay, so Raven's hanging out with guys outside the Titans, that's new,' Robin thought, for some reason not okay with this thought.

"Sorry man, I didn't know," Cyborg apologized to him.

"Oh yeah, no worries," he extended a hand but immediately retracted it after a sharp glance from his sister.

"Y'know what? I'm so done with you and this whole thing, whatever it was," Aria spoke up. "The fact is, you didn't call. Simple as that. Even if you didn't feel the same as I did, I would've appreciated you telling me so. But no, you weren't man enough to do so. Instead you had me checking my phone every five minutes expecting a call from this guy I really liked. But you know what? The joke's on me because turns out you weren't that guy."

Raven delicately placed a hand on her friend's shoulder after her emotional outburst. Robin raised his eyebrows behind the dark shades he was wearing. Raven was usually so adamant against physical contact in the slightest. Then again, Robin had learned he didn't know her like he thought he did.

"I think we should go somewhere and talk privately," Cyborg murmured.

"Oh, so now you want to talk," Aria rolled her eyes.

"Aria, please," Cyborg pleaded.

"Fine," Aria turned to Raven. "If I'm not back in five minutes, I'm on my way to jail for aggravated assault."

With the absence of the lovely couple, there was an awkward silence between the five of them until the boy broke in.

"Umm...hi?"

"Greetings, what is your name?" Starfire queried.

"Hale," he clarified.

"What an intriguing name!"Starfire smiled.

"Uhh, thanks?" Hale said.

"She's not from around here," Robin said somewhat curtly. Hale nodded his head understandingly. Beast Boy must have decided it was his time to embarrass himself for the night as he slid into the booth next to Raven. Before he had a chance to speak, she spoke in a low voice saying, "No, never. Ever."

"Oh, you resemble our friend Raven very much so," Starfire interjected.

"I guess I just have one of those faces," Raven spoke softly, looking away. A soft, melodious tune of a new song came from the speakers interrupting any further conversation.

"How about a dance, senorita?" Beast Boy was persistent. Raven simply rolled her eyes and offered a hand to Hale. The two of them headed to the center of the floor, leaving a sulky Beast Boy and a surprised Robin.

"Robin, would you like to dance with me?" Starfire asked.

"Yes, Star, I would," Robin grinned. They followed the rest of the couples onto the dance floor. Despite having the beautiful alien secured in his arms, Robin couldn't help but cast glances in Raven's direction. Seeing her in another guy's arms stirred something in him. Was it jealousy?

'No I can't be jealous, it's Raven,' Robin rejected the thought. But as they continued to dance, he couldn't deny that he was jealous. Bitterness swept through Robin as he watched how Hale held Raven by her waist and how she wrapped her hands around his neck. She had a small, genuine smile as if Hale had said something funny. Why couldn't she be this open around him? As the song resumed, Robin's envy worsened.

_So, will you never be my lover or my valentine?_

_Never be a friend of mine, never see my better side_

_Baby, you'd be terrified_

_Of all the secrets you were wishing you won't ever find_

_Is deep inside me_

Raven gazed over Hale's shoulder and Robin followed where her stare was directed. She was looking at the blonde girl who had let them in. Raven whispered something in Hale's ear and a cold fury spread throughout Robin.

_And I don't wanna hide me_

Hale gave her a hesitant look after Raven finished. She simply nodded her head and smiled. He took a deep breath and began to walk towards the blonde girl.

_Cause I know about my love_

_Cause I know about my love_

After a minute's conversation, the blonde girl smiled and nodded her head. The two of them began to dance holding each other close. Robin glanced back at Raven and was surprised to see a pleased smile on her face. Despite the smile, he could see a wistfulness almost longing in her eyes. She looked back at him and their concealed eyes met for a second. This time, however, she immediately turned around, vanishing among the crowd.

_Cause I know about my love_

_Cause I know about my love_

Robin felt a tiny ache in his heart as he watched her leave. He glanced down at the redhead in his arms and for some reason he did not have that same feeling he felt when they first danced together.

_Pick up fast and I could fly away from here (Fly away)_

_Although I feel at home whenever you are near_

_I love you but I can't cold-cut to this_

_(So, just don't cut it, I want you near)_

_I wish you'd hold me open and just to see your vision clear_

_(I'm always here)_

"Hey, Star," Robin said.

"Yes?" she answered.

"You wouldn't mind if I went to the restroom real quick right?" he asked.

"Oh, well..." Starfire started but was interrupted by the masked boy.

"Besides I think Beast Boy is kind of lonely without anyone to dance with," Robin added.

"Okay, but be sure to come back," Starfire said.

"Of course," Robin smiled.

_(Cause I know about my love)_

_Cause I know about my love_

Robin rushed through the crowd attempting to make it through the exit. She had said they wouldn't become strangers to each other, but now he barely recognized her. Something inside of him just told him this was right, he had to follow her.

_(Cause I know about my love)_

_Cause I know about my love_

As he reached the door, Robin noticed a dancing Cyborg and Aria. Whatever Cyborg said to her must have worked. Aria laid her head against his chest and held her eyes closed. Cyborg gazed down at her with a genuine happiness in his eyes.

_(Cause I know about my love)_

_Cause I know about my love_

Finally, Robin made it out the door, only to be disappointed once again. Only the darkness and brisk nighttime air was there to greet him.

_(Cause I know about my love)_

_Cause I know about my love_

Raven had said they wouldn't become strangers, but right now he barely recognized her.

_(Cause I know about my love)_

_Cause I know, know, know about my love_


	12. Unconventional

**Sooo...it's been a while...this is awkward. You guys probably thought I died or had a mental break or something. The latter choice is close to what actually happened. But listen kids, here's some facts about life. Shit happens. Like the shittiest shit ever happens. Everyday. To both those good and bad. Sometimes (most of the time) you don't have any control over it. But you do have control over how you deal with it. And in my case, I quit writing, self-pitied, and cried, a lot, actually. It was pretty sad, mostly pathetic, but sad. But at some point, amongst the self-pity and the tears, I found my lady balls and realized that I do have control and I'm not powerless. So I started writing, stopped pitying myself, and wiped my tears. Because ladies and gents, no matter what life throws at you, you're still a human being, you still have a freaking brain and a heart and a pair of lungs and a whole lot of other shit that makes you a human being. Therefore, you still have a life to control. And remember kids, the sun still rises, birds still sing, people still smile, orgasms still occur, life isn't that bad.**

**Moving on from my voluntary, therapeutic advice, let's talk about this story. So I wrote this chapter a year ago, but never posted. So the next chapter (yes, there will be a next chapter) may seem different, style wise that is. Anyways, if you want to read an original story of mine, I have one on Wattpad, under the same username. It's called "To Angel, With Love", it sounds girly and like Fabio should be on the cover, but I swear it's not. Check it out, I'm going to be advertising it all week, so you might as well check it out now. Later, lovelies!**

Robin's P.O.V.

_Crunch, crunch, crunch_. The many scattered leaves crackled and disintegrated under Robin's boots as his feet pounded the ground below him. His chest heaved with forced effort as he continued to sprint. Suddenly, Robin skidded to a halt and he frantically surveyed the area. He was in a forest, he was pretty sure. Tall trees towered over him, their branches left bare without the green foliage to cover them. Minute crystal flakes silently fell from the pale, milky white sky, covering the ground in a frosty blanket. _Snow! _It was in that moment the sudden wave of realization that it was snowing hit Robin. He finally felt the brisk air penetrating him like hundreds of sharp needles. Stifling a shiver, Robin resisted the urge to give up his search, not when he was so close to finding her.

_'She was right there, I had her. I only took my eyes away from her for a moment. She was...she was right there,'_ Robin scolded himself. Resuming his surveillance of the area, there was still no sign of her. Then he saw it, that familiar shade of blue, it was her! Robin was sure of it, even with her back towards him and hood up, he knew it was her.

"Raven!" he shouted, his throat nearly straining from the intensity of his cry. He saw her shoulders tense and her fists clench and she slightly turned her head towards him. Robin nearly dropped to his knees when she darted forwards further into the snowy forest. With no hesitation, Robin sprinted after her, intent on not losing her again.

"Raven! Stop running, it's me!" Robin yelled. Thin, stray branches slapped across Robin's face, creating fresh cuts as he dashed through the woods. Ignoring the sting of the pain and the blood threatening to block his vision, he quickened his pace.

_Huff, huff, huff_. Robin's breath came out ragged at uneven intervals. A thick cloud of black slowly began to obscure his sight as he felt the exertion beginning to take its toll. He was so close, so very close to her. Robin could almost touch the blue fabric of the cape streaming behind her.

_'Got you,' _he thought at the small space between them. Just as he outstretched his gloved fingers...

Robin shot up into an upright position, his black satin sheets falling away from his body, leaving his bare skin exposed. He fought to control his breathing as it dawned on him that it was all a dream. In fact, he was dreaming about Raven, his supposed best friend. With a deep sigh, Robin fell back onto his pillows, attempting to discern what this all could possibly mean. His gaze dropped down to his side and he instantly narrowed his eyes at the empty pack of Oreo's.

_'Note to self, no more Oreo's before falling asleep,' _Robin rationalized.

Dressed in a pair of gray sweatpants and a black t-shirt, Robin walked down the corridor, reluctant to deal with the rest of the members of the team. Thoughts swam through his mind like a fish in a stream. He couldn't help but feel like in the simplest of terms a rat. He had a girlfriend, in fact, he had the perfect girlfriend yet it was his best friend who was haunting his conscious and was now infiltrating in on his dreams.

"Yep, I'm a rat, a filthy, dirty rat. A filthy, dirty rat in need of a coffee" he muttered. Robin was so consumed in his session of self-loathing, that he almost didn't avoid the bright flash of color streaming towards his face. Still in the danger zone, he felt a small splash of something cool. Turning his head towards the wall where the mysterious flash impacted with, he saw a huge splatter of water along with the remnants of what was a blue balloon.

"What the hell?" Robin murmured. He turned around and upon entering the kitchen fully, he raised his eyebrows at the scene before him. Starfire gracefully floated in the air holding Beast Boy by his forearms as his legs dangled freely. Both their eyes were widened slightly in alarm in the presence of their leader. On the other side of the kitchen stood Cyborg with his mouth in a small 'o' shape. Both Cyborg and Beast Boy held water balloons in their hands, while a towering bucket of multicolored balloons sat on the kitchen counter. More wet splatters covered the kitchen while all three of them were drenched in water.

"Explain, now," Robin tersely demanded. All three members looked at a lost for words when Cyborg managed to stutter out "S-Since we had no official hero business to take care of, Beast Boy and I, thought we should do something for fun,"

Cyborg gave out a slight cough, prompting Beast Boy to continue with "And I had bought some water balloons for, umm, personal fun involving something along the lines of a, umm, minor prank that had nothing at all to do with you or your bed, heh. But Cyborg thought it was best to use them now. Then Starfire came out in the middle of our battle and...well, you know the rest."

"Uh-huh," Robin slowly nodded his head. In all honesty, Robin didn't care about them having fun, as long as there was no active crime and they cleaned up afterwards, it was all good. But just to screw with them, he allowed the tension to build up a few more moment before he spoke up casually saying with a smirk "Go nuts,"

"Oh, thank you, Robin, for not being the crossed at us," Starfire squealed. "Would you wish to partake in the Balloons of Water Fight? It is rather quite invigorating."

"No thanks, Starfire," Robin declined, still feeling quite muddled about his current predicament.

"Are you sure, my dear?" Starfire asked, concern etched in her tone.

"Yes I'm sure, I'd much rather watch you," Robin gave her the most charming smile he could muster, hoping she would be satisfied. Her orange cheeks became a pale shade of red and she gave a soft smile before resuming the battle.

Frustration and guilt ate away at Robin's nerves as he sat down on the living room couch, completely forgetting about his coffee. His nerves were almost obliterated as he watched the girl he supposedly was madly, deeply in love with dance in the air narrowly avoiding numerous colorful missiles. Robin gazed at how her radiant, red her flourished behind her bouncing along with every single move she made. He watched how her emerald colored eyes shone brightly with a playful, almost childish manner, and a smile small created with perfect white teeth graced her beautiful face. Just by looking at her face alone, a stranger would be able to decipher how innocent and kind-hearted she was.

_'She doesn't deserve this,'_ Robin thought. She didn't deserve what he was silently doing to her. She didn't deserve his recent, quiet doubts about their relationship and his questioning of his love for her. All of these things hit Robin at once, as he realized that Starfire deserved better than him. Whether she knew it or not Robin was poisoning her innocence. Unconsciously, Robin's masked eyes began to roam her not so innocent curves. A tight lavender tank top accentuated her femininely curves and a white pair of shorts gave Robin a nice view of her long, slender legs. There was no denying he had a hot girlfriend. Man, he was an idiot. Robin had a kind, hot girlfriend, who could hold her own in battle and he was sitting there reexamining his feeling for her. He was such an idiot.

"What is wrong with me?" Robin muttered, quietly enough for him not to draw attention to himself. It was in that moment time seemed to slip into slow motion. A sudden familiar presence entered the kitchen as another stray water balloon sailed through the air towards her.

_'Raven!' _Robin silently cried, his whole body tensing up. The strangled cry for her to look out died before ever reaching past the barrier of his lips as the balloon crashed into her face, splashing water all over her upper body. An unnerving hush rapidly overcame the chaos of the kitchen as Raven stood there dripping wet. She stood there with her eyes pinched together and mouth slightly open. Damp pieces of hair clung to her face and her now drenched shirt clung to her body. The eerie silence continued as everyone dreaded her surely furious response. Beast Boy was the first to speak up saying "Raven, I'm so, so sorry. Please don't kill me or cut out my organs or whatever! I seriously didn't mean to! And if you're really that pissed, I'll let you pummel Cyborg, he can take it, besides he'll make a worthy opponent. Just please don't cause me any physical or mental damage, please!"

Raven slowly opened her eyes in excruciatingly intimidating manner. Her violet eyes held an intense look focused primarily on Beast Boy. Her mouth was set in a grave line and the rest of her face remained cold. Robin's breath hitched in his throat at the thought of what Raven had in stored for the now whimpering green boy. She raised and open hand with her fingers slightly clenched as a decent amount of black energy crackled. Everyone stared with wide eyes filled with horror whereas Beast Boy squeezed his eyes shut. In that same moment a teasing smirk appeared on Raven's face as she swiftly picked up a handy water balloon, hurling it at Beast Boy's face. The balloon ruptured against his face causing him to stumble back a little and laughter to bubble from Raven's mouth.

"Did you...did you just..." Beast Boy spluttered. Raven pulled herself together long enough to say "Yes, I did. So are you going to do something about it or are you just going to stand there babbling like an idiot?"

And with those words, a whole new chaotic battle erupted now that a fourth member had joined in on the fun. Robin just sat back in awe as he digested Raven's actions. Sure ever since she could openly feel, she had been a bit more willing to join in on their little antics but never to this magnitude. Robin just gazed at her as she participated in on the fun. An actual smile beamed in contrast of her pale skin and her dark eyes were slightly lit with a match of amusement. Her occasional laughter was like music to Robin's ears.

_'Damn, she really is beaut- Stop it, Robin, you have a girfriend,'_Robin scolded himself. But despite no many times he repeated this to himself, he couldn't help the thoughts about Raven running rampant. To make matters worse, he didn't even fully understand why he was so wrapped up in her. Considering the depth of his emotional ties to her just hit him in a dream, Robin was sure he wouldn't know why until much later. Yeah, he had seen her at Royals dancing, at Carrie-oke's singing, and of course that day's whole water balloon debacle. But he really didn't get how a few chances of seeing different sides of Raven had enraptured him. Hormones, blame it all on the hormones.

The battle had come to an end with no clear winner, but it was evident all of them were equally as drained by the intensity of dodging a balloon. Robin found a soaking wet Raven leaning against the wall of the hallway, drying off her hair.

"Interesting turn of events. Hey, is that a new outfit?" as soon as the words escaped Robin's mouth, he wished someone would just kick him in it.

_'Hey, is that a new outfit. What am I her girl friend?'_ Robin thought. Truth was, he hadn't really planned on what he was going to say to her he just winged in. This was why he planned as a leader and improvised when absolutely necessary. Raven quickly glanced down at her outfit. She wore a deep blue shirt, rolled up to her elbows with the words 'Mandatory Badass' written across the front. She, also, donned a pair black pair of loose fitting sweatpants.

"Uh yeah. I got it at the mall," she replied.

"The mall?" Robin queried.

"Yeah, I go sometimes. It's not that bad if you can ignore the gazillion, annoying teens, the screaming, crying children, and hopeless salespeople," she laughed. Robin chuckled along with her before getting to the real question he had been dying to ask.

"So where were you the other night? Y'know the night we went out to that karaoke place?" Robin asked. This question seemed to momentarily catch her off guard, but then she recovered and said "Oh I went to this poetry reading thing. Maybe next time you can come, well not you, I mean, you and the others. Umm, I better go change,"

And with that, Raven began to walk down her room. Robin stood there looking at her fading figure as he pushed away the hurt he felt towards her lying to him.

Raven's P.O.V.

Walking down the hallway, Raven reflected on the day's events as she felt her damp clothes cling to her skin. She had never planned on joining in on the water balloon battle. Frankly, she was kind of pissed to be smacked in the face with a balloon filled with water. But looking at her friends joyful faces before she instilled fear in them, she decided moments like these only come so often in life that she mind as well enjoy them. Despite the immense fun she was having, there were immense waves of confusion coming towards her mind. This confusion didn't belong to her, it belonged to Robin.

Robin. Her supposed best friend she just lied to in order to save her own ass. As guilty as she felt, she couldn't tell him about her life outside the tower. She couldn't just keep letting him in like that, not when she was struggling with being in love with him. Raven wouldn't do that to herself, she wouldn't give Robin any more control over her heart than he already had. That was, also, the reason for her not confronting him about his mixed feelings. He had Starfire for that, Starfire was his girlfriend, not her. Raven punched in her code and entered her room. She instantly began to slide off her shirt, relief of the weight being taking off her shoulders literally. Her shirt was halfway over her head when she heard, "Hmm, upgraded to a Victoria Secret bra, have we. Nice,"

_'Oh Azar, why him? Out of all the times, why now, especially why him? Couldn't it have been Slade instead? Anyone but him,'_ Raven thought. Turning to Speedy she hissed "What the hell are you doing here?"


End file.
